Betrayal
by Sandstormmaddy
Summary: One member of Team Crafting, the apprentices of Team Crafted, gets kidnapped! The two teams must seek out the help of their friends, The Creatures. However, on the journey to The Creatures, they meet a mysterious group of cats, with a certain girl in said group... One that could change their lives as far as they know it. (OC x Bodil40 and OC x Mr360games)
1. Linked Dreams

"Honey! I'm home!" A man wearing a black suit steps into a house, pulling off his orange checkered tie, his voice heavy with a Bulgarian accent. The aroma of the house was heavenly, the main part of the house smelling like fresh lilacs. A scent similar to that one of freshly baked cookies wafted from the kitchen next to the stairs into his nose. The man walked into the kitchen, his gaze settling on a woman who wore a white apron over her teal shirt and light pink pants.

"Welcome back," She says smiling, her eyes wrinkling at the edges with her warm smile. The man pushed up his black sunglasses a bit, and kissed the lady's soft lips gently. They pulled apart moments later, smiling softly, their faces lighting up slightly.

The moment suddenly switched to a field of flowers, creating a color palette. In the middle of the colorful field, the same two people lied there, a while away from their small house, away from the desolation in the cities. Far behind them, buildings towered into the sky, smoke curling off of the rooftops. The two ignored it all, instead focusing on the clear blue sky above them, clouds dispersing so they could always see it. The couple's hands were intertwined, and soft smiles replaced frowns since their heads lightly touching, they just enjoyed each others presence, away from all of the world's troubles.

Soft, fluffy ears popped of the lady's head as she noticed a white cloud cover her gaze of the sun. The man glanced over at her, pulling at her yellow ears lightly. She swatted at his hand playfully, revealing a hand with sharp, black claws. The girl pointed to the cloud with a claw, and the man looked at it, finding it in the shape of a heart.

The man from the dream, only a few years younger, sharply sat up in a bed. He looked around, panting slightly. He knew what he just experienced was a happy dream, but he couldn't help but be startled by it a little. It seemed like the dream had been predicting his future. When the man looked at the time, he was surprised at how late it was in the day already. He rushed to put on his dark shades, grabbing his usual tie and suit, placing them on his body. He rushed out the door, leaving his room in a clean state.

The clock said 11:00 AM only, so where could the Bulgarian be rushing off to?

At the same time, in a jungle far away, the lady from the dream sat up, her brown hair pointing all over the place. Her cat-like ears sitting straight up, she glanced out of what seemed like her den, a yellow tail with black splotches, sticking straight like bamboo. She rushed out of the dark building quickly, only only stopping to make her hair stick down with the claws on her human hands.

Hey, my clanmates! How ya'll doing? Yes, this isn't TLTBO, but I wanted to post this, just to get it off m hands. So, my question is, who is the man in the dream? He is a youtuber, and you guys can probably figure out who it is. The lady is my OC, so don't try to guess who she is. KK, so, BYE!


	2. The Unforgiving Truth

* Leia's POV *

Everyone had gathered in the room. Everyone but one person. The chair next to Double was empty, saved for a certain Bulgarian, whose laugh was that compared to that of a baby angel's. Everyone who was here was bored, as was I.

Oh, you don't know who I am? Why, I am a member of Team Crafting, Leia Sky-Walker. My mentor was Double, or Ryan. Because we had such a big group, Sky asked for more help from his friends and his friend's friends. There isn't much to talk about, because I'm not telling my past.

Suddenly, the doors burst open, revealing a man with black hair. However, his hair was shooting all over the place instead of the neat and tidy usual. His orange tie looked like it was hurriedly put on, the knot sloppy and large. His suit was hanging on one arm, the other side slowly falling off. His white dress shirt was wrinkled, and the buttons weren't buttoned properly. His glasses hug on the bridge of his nose, almost revealing his eyes. His shoes weren't fully on, and he was missing a sock. He was covered in sweat, but he had no odor being emitted from his body.

Bodil. He slowly stood up from his hunched position, walking over to his seat calmly, like nothing was wrong. He yanked out his chair, a loud squeak coming from the chair. He sat on the chair with a _poof_, crossing his arms tightly and laying down on the table.

I looked at everyone. They didn't seem angry, with the exception of Sky. The 'Leader' of the group, Skydoesminecraft, Sky, or Adam, glared at the map maker, his glasses set on the table long ago. His 'budder' colored eyes were narrow and looked tiny from behind his eyelids. He propped his hand on the table, setting his chin inside the palm of it. "So Bodil, how did you sleep?" His voice was extremely calm, but we all backed away. He was never calm, but when he was, all Hell broke loose.

Double was lightly patting his friend's back, a smile gracing his lips. "Now Sky, you can't be _too_ mean to him, can you? You were late for two hours before, and he was only late for one. Now, calm down, and return to your usual self." My eyes drooped as Double spoke his spell, falling asleep for a second before my eyes snapped open. Everyone was affected by the spell, and they looked calmer. Double had one of his crazy grins, glad that his spell had worked.

If you didn't know, Double can use calming magic and spawning magic. For his calming magic to work, he does have to give a point as to why they have to calm down, but it's very effective and efficient magic. As for his spawning magic, it depends on the shirt he wears. If he wears his slime shirt, like today, he can only spawn slimes while wearing that shirt, and nothing else. If he wears something else, like his zombie shirt, he can only spawn that mob. If he wears his rainbow shirt, it spawns something random. However, he has his iron sword and dagger if he has to use them.

Sky sighs, but he then smiles. "You're right. Sorry Bodil." Bodil weakly raises his head, giving a smile smile before sitting back in his chair.

"No prob dude. It's my fault anyways. I probably shouldn't have stayed up to work on my map." Everyone laughed at the comment, and Bodil smiled a huge grin before releasing his laugh. Everyone laughed harder at that, and I had to clutch my stomach.

Wiping small tears from his eyes, Sky stomps his foot on the floor. "Now that we have that taking care of, courtesy of Double, we have important matters to discuss." Everyone tensed up, and their smiles were replaced with tight lips. "It has to do with the Squids." I cringed. The Squids were Sky's life long enemy, and, after a while, everyone came to hate them as well. However, Sky never told us why he hated them so much.

"What happened?" Deadlox, or Ty, asked Sky, who started to look guilty. He tilted his head down, allowing his brown hair to fall over his glasses. All of the other girls lightly blushed, but I remained calm. On the inside, I was SLIGHTLY fan-girling.

"Well..." I gasped at what he said, feeling my tail and ears starting to rise off of my body. I pushed them down, but I couldn't stop the shock from showing on my face, not wanting what he had said to be true.

Clanmates, sorry for the short chap, and yes, I feel like this is not worthy because I didn't update in FOREVER, but I am focusing on my PJO story, so sorry clanmates. Also, I do know that Team Crafted is falling apart, but I had this idea long before that, so they will still be a team in this story. Perhaps a sequel will be made...? Anyways, understand that I love cliffhangers, and that I feel like this should be longer. The next chap will be longer, I swear on my belief for the Greek gods AND my love for MC Youtubers. I'll see you later my clanmates! KK, so, BYE!


	3. When Spies Aren't Spies

"Well... let's just say that... Uh, how to put this lightly... It looks like while spying on the Squids, Roose (Ruse) Underbush was captured." Sky grunted out, and several people covered their mouths with a hand. Others sat back. I was the only one who sat up in my seat, my eyes slowly widening. I could feel my tail and ears rising, but I pushed them down. They were the only thing from going insane. If the others found out, they would probably hate me for hiding my ocelot blood.

If you couldn't tell, Roose had been one of my best friends here, and I enjoyed seeing her everyday. We made crappy jokes together, and teamed up whenever we could for a training session. We were inseparable. A team. If Sky hadn't asked her to take the spy mission alone, she would still be here, joking around with me. If only she hadn't accepted it. I put my head on the table, letting worry overtake my mind as I wrapped my arms over my hair. Is she okay? What were the Squids going to do to her?

I held back the tears that threatened to fall onto the blocky wooden table as I lifted up my head to see everyone staring at me, a look of concern planted on their faces. I mentally shot everyone a death glare for worrying about me, but just forced a small smile onto my tan face. The smile seemed to calm them down, but underneath the table, I cracked my knuckles, releasing a tiny crack in the air. My anger left with that tiny sound, the lava in my stomach boiling down to nothing.

"Of course, we'll take immediate action. Though we'll have to ask some other _friends_ for help..." Sky muttered the last part under his breath, but my ears easily picked it up. Jerome must have heard it too, flinching a bit at the friends part, which Sky hissed out. His eyes darkened as he realized what _friends_ Sky was talking about, growling a little. Whoever they were talking about, they seemed to hate a bunch.

"So then, are we gonna leave tomorrow or no?" Nellie, apprentice to Husky, was one of the smarter ones in the huge group. Today she wore a white shirt that said "I'm a Hybrid, DEAL WITH IT" in bright, bold orange characters, paired with plain blue jeans. Nellie has Vaporeon blood mixed with hers, giving her a blue frill growing from her neck. Frills also grew along her twig arms, forcing her to wear short sleeves most of the time. It didn't matter anyways, because Ty happened to choose a plains biome to build the base in.

A glance around the table confirmed the answer for the group. "Well, probably the day after tomorrow. Give you guys some time to pack and train. A day to get ready for the trip." Mitch confirmed, and everyone nodded at this. With that done, everyone looked toward Sky to see if there was anything else they needed to talk about. He smiles lightly, shaking his head and hair. Everyone jumped up, and I grabbed my backpack. It jingled lightly with the tiny tin bells delicately placed onto a zipper.

Out in the hall, my friend Camron joined me. For once, the care-free wind elemental seemed crestfallen, and he walked without the usual jump in his step. Our steps echoed in the empty hallways as we headed to our separate rooms. I couldn't help but glance at Camron every once in a while.

His face was serious, surrendering itself to gravity. Part of it was covered by the shadow that was created by his shaggy blonde hair as he kicked a pebble around on the pavement. He kept his hands neatly tucked away in his hoodie pockets, the actual hood floating behind him like a ghost. His shoelaces were untied and dragged against the stone. They would fly up every time he kicked at a pebble near his feet.

"You must feel terrible, right?" I was surprised when Camron spoke, even though his voice was soft and quiet. I think I jumped a little, because he chuckled a bit under his breath, still not calming me down. The path slowly opened into a forest area, and I had to hold back a purr. Usually, I walked this part alone, but my blonde friend wanted to join me instead of playing some games with the others before he went home.

"Yeah, I do. How did you guess?" I whispered, letting out a small, dry laugh. Ahead, I saw my other two friends, Kevin and Edward, chatting away, waiting for me. They glanced in out direction giving me a small wave. I waved back then turned back towards Camron to hear his response.

"It's just... Nothing. It's because you seemed a little crestfallen when you heard the news." Camron, even though he was only one year older than me, 16, he knew more synonyms then me for certain words. He turned toward his own path that lead to his home in the air. He waved over his shoulder at me, pulling on his blue cap.

I turned towards my two other friends, who were patiently waiting for me at the edge of the forestry path. "Hey dudes. What were you talking about earlier?" I give each of them a brofist before flinging my backpack over my shoulder and allowing them to walk slightly in front of me.

"Oh nothing, just about how close you and Camron are." Edward replies before snickering to himself, forgetting that I can still hear him. I hit the back of his head with my hand lightly, glaring daggers while doing so.

"Yeah, well how about we talk about how Lily was in your face this morning?" Kevin interjected, causing Edward to go full blush mode. I let out a laugh, and so did Kevin.

"Details dude. What happened?" With one glance at Edward, I knew to immediately drop the subject. "Dude, calm down! I'm joking. Let's drop _everything_ then, okay?" They nodded, both satisfied with this decision. We fell into a comfortable silence the rest of the way, and soon we reached our block. "Cya guys later!" I called out to them, and thy waved back, continuing down the path to their homes. I quickly jogged across around the trees before arriving at my tree-house. Glancing around, I saw no one around, so I clawed my way up the bark into the dense leaves. I lay down on the cool bark, pulling off my purple beanie, closing my eyes.

When I opened them, I screeched loud enough for the whole kingdom to hear.

Sorry guys for the long wait, this story has been a bit hard for me to type, but it'll get easier for me to get out the farther we go on, because I already have an idea for the rest of the story. I just didn't think of the introduction. Not only that, but I got stuck writing TLTBO and a new story! If you want me to post it, just say! It's about The Creatures, and they're put into a world like the Hunger Games, but the actual game is different. One more thing also, I've been recording! I'm actually happy with the results, and I've put the link on my profile. Anyways, I'll see you later my clanmates! KK, so, BYE!


	4. Secrets Revealed

Sitting up, I pushed back Sky's angry and confused face. I scrambled to sit up, hiding my face with my beanie. Sneaking an eye out, I saw Sky shaking his head in disapproval. Swallowing, I could feel myself shaking, and I had to force the tears that threatened to fall back.

"Sky, is she up there?" I heard a voice call from the ground. Looking over the edge slightly, I saw Ty staring up the tree. I hit my ears from him, making sure that he caught my eye. "Hey Leia! Can I come up?" I hesitated before opening my mouth the answer, only to be interrupted Sky.

"Ty, come up here. Now." I moved out of the trapdoor opening, keeping my head hanged so that my eyes wouldn't connect with our leader's. However, without even having to look at his eyes, I could feel the anger burning in his gaze. I moved to put on my beanie, but the brunette stopped me before I could. "Stop. Show Ty. Right after this, you're gonna show the others. I'll issue another meeting. Don't you dare move."

Ty finished clambering up the ladder, heaving himself over the edge. Pulling himself up, he closed the door with gentleness. Turning around, he finally figured out the situation. "Well, damn... Anyone wanna explain?" Sky motioned to me in a silent gesture of anger, telling Ty that I was the only one that understood the situation.

I swallowed before explaining. "Well... I'm a, uh, ocelot hybrid." I lowered my voice on the last part, but made sure that they could still hear so that I wouldn't have to explain again. Ty didn't seem as angry as his companion, but was just as surprised.

"Do you want to tell the others?" Sky muttered something about how I have to, but I though about Ty's offer. Sighing, I knew I needed to tell the others at some point, so I nodded. The other two seemed satisfied with my answer, and started a silent conversation between themselves with their eyes. I just watched them clueless. In the end, I couldn't decipher anything so I went back to clawing the floor of my room, the wood already torn up.

"Come on, let's go." Sky huffed, and started climbing back down the ladder. Ty went right after him, and I was glad that I wore shorts underneath my skirt today. By the time I got down, they had already started down the path. I ran to catch up to them, making sure to keep my head down.

The occasional passerby glanced at us while we passed, but looked away as soon as they saw our leader's angry stare. However, their gaze flickered over Ty and onto me, lingering for a moment on my ears before fully turning away. I could see the disgust in their eyes, probably not recognizing me with my freaky ears.

Soon we arrived at the meeting place again, and everyone was waiting outside the huge room. I was sure I looked like a prisoner following the two friends with my head down and body slouched. Sky ushered everyone into the room, letting Ty stay behind with me for a moment so everyone else could settle down in their seats. I catch Edward and Kevin's eyes, and they look at me with sympathy.

You see, Kevin and Edward already knew. One day, I forgot they were coming over for so we could practice using our swords when we got them. It was similar to this recent scene, but without them demanding for me to tell everyone. Instead, they had been kind and understanding, like Ty. I had told them about my terrible past, and they did too. After that accident, we had become quick friends.

After Ty had calmed me down enough, he slowly lead a hyperventilating me into the massive meeting room, only to be met with everyone's eyes on me. I moved behind Ty, my ears flat against my head. Even behind the russet eyed boy, I could feel their eyes judging me. No one said anything, and the silence in the usually loud building was weird.

"Take a seat." Sky growled, his patience wearing thin. I quickly took my usual seat across from Double, who gave me a reassuring glance. "Care to explain now?" The army leader calmed down slightly, knowing that he wasn't going to get anything out of me by being demanding.

"Well, what do you want to know?" I could tell that everyone had seen my ears by now, and I was regaining my confidence slowly. My friends pulled their eyes away from my ears to think about what they wanted to know exactly.

"How long did you have them? And, how did you get them?" Ray, one of the newest recruit, asks, her voice calm and quiet. I could tell that she was trying to keep me calm about the situation, and I knew that she went through worse. Before Ray joined us, her old home at her families seaside city was attacked by squids, and she lost many friends when she ran away. Her white hoodie, light blue tank-top and vintage faded denim jean shorts, black shoes with electric blue laces, and her handcrafted wooden bow were the only thing she could salvage.

"Ever since I was about... 5? 5 or 6 years old. I got them during... A dark time in my life. I, I got... Kidnapped. My family was well known in a town that had a bunch of crimes. The most known crime was kidnapping. One day, I was going back to my house after visiting a friend, and I got lost from them. The crowd tried to help me, but I just got lost even more. Someone grabbed me after a while, and I thought they were my parents. Boy, was I wrong. My kidnappers took me to a lab where I and other children were tested on. They would insert animal blood into us, then watch us for a few weeks. If it failed, they would try again. I got "lucky" on my 3rd try, and a week after that, the police found the lab and shut it down. Every one of the scientists and kidnappers were taken to jail, and the kids reunited with their families. Don't worry about it, I quickly got over the fact that I was kidnapped and tested on." I added the last sentence on as a after thought, not wanting to make Ray feel bad that she asked that question. However, everyone in the room was shocked. I usually was the type of person that stayed quiet and let others do the talking. "Anything else?"

"How did your parents react when they first got you back?" AJ, an older recruit, asked, the answer seemingly being pushed to the back of her mind. She stood out with her white ninja costume and black shoes, her chocolate brown hair flat against her back. The brunett leaned forward in her chair, crossing her legs up onto the seat.

"They were pretty understanding. Sometimes though, it would seem like they wanted me out of the house. Like I was never born. They tried to hide me from the world, and I wasn't allowed to go to school. They started homeschooling me. One day, my old friends showed up and asked where I was. My parents lied to them and said that our family was moving, and I was sent ahead. We did end up moving though. But I couldn't take it and ran away. They never bothered to look for me." Some of the other recruits, like Lily and Nellie, could understand what I meant. Being the two other hybrids in Team Crafting, they also had been lead to running away from their former families after being rejected by them.

Lily, Jerome's apprentice, was a panther hybrid. Her hybrid part were a bit harder to hid then mine, but easier then Nellie's. She had a black tail and two black ears. However, she also had fangs. Her fangs where hard for her to hide in her mouth since they usually would stick out like buck teeth. Very, very sharp buck teeth.

"Are ears the only body part that you have?" Lily asked, her dark tail waving behind her. She sat crouched on her chair looking like she was about to pounce. Her white shirt had the outline of a cat, and the black rose covered skirt pieced the outfit together, and her outfit matched nicely with her curly orange hair. A midnight black hat sat on her head at an angle, one opening for her ear cut out.

"Well... No." I wiggled my tail out of my semi long skirt and waved it out in the air. My friends glanced at it before turning back to me. It waved past my blonde hair, moving my straight hair around. I stopped my tail, knowing that everyone had seen it. "Anything else?" I was started to get bored, and looked at my long nails that I had sharpened to look like claws. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw everyone shake their heads no.

"Then, let's talk about the mission while all of us are here. We," Sky motions around to all of the members of Team Crafted, "have decided who is going. It is a fairly large group, but not all of us can go. Those of you that stay behind, please understand why we left you behind before getting mad." Sky looks around the circle, waiting for everyone to nod in understanding. We all do, and he continues. "Good. So, the ones who are staying is a shorter list, so I'll say those. Edward, Kevin," My two friends look disappointed, but just nod, "Lily, Camron, Seto, Brice, and Nellie, will all be staying. Seto and Brice, you already know the plan of action, correct?" The two nod, confidence shining in their eyes. "You five," The leader motions to the other names he called, "will help them defend the city. The reason we leave you behind is not because you are weak, but because we need someone to stay behind and fight for the city in case it is under attack. Do I make myself clear?" They nod, and Sky smiles. "Good. Then, I want you to follow Seto and Brice so they can explain the plan to you. Everyone else, get packing."

Is that good enough for you? I spent FOREVER working on this chap, so APPRECIATE IT. I was sooooooo overwhelmed by the OCs that you guy gave me! Speaking of OCs, Ray is from raydoesminecraft, and AJ is from Darkwing6. Thank you for ALLLLLL the OCs, but pls, hold off on them for now? I feel really bad when I can't us an OC D: I also have more on stand by... But yeah. 1741 WORDS MINUS THIS AUTHORS NOTE. I SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THIS CHAP. TWO WHOLE DOCUMENT WORD PAGES. BE PROUD OF MEEEEEEE. Also, I don't approve of kidnapping, or any crimes for that matter. That was just for backstory purposes. But yeah, hold off on the OCs until I ask for one. I still need two more spaces... But they require specific details :3 Anyways, I'll see you later my clanmates! KK, so, BYE!


	5. If Only I Was Stronger

Dashing to my tree-house, I can only hear the pounding in my heart as I thought of the event that just took place. My surroundings only looked like a blur as I passed by them, all of the sounds mixing together, causing a ringing in my ears. I switched my mind into auto-pilot mode, just letting my body guide itself to my house. I had just told everyone I had never trusted anyone else with.

Anyone. Ever.

Clawing my way up the ripped trunk, I shoved the trapdoor open and pulled myself over the edge. Scrambling around the hollowed tree, I found my way over to the bedroom and flopped onto my purple bed. I could feel something hard underneath me, and dug it out, bending my body into the air. Flopping back onto the bouncy bed, I held the item over my head, casting a shadow over my eyes. I felt tears well up into the corner of my emerald eyes, staring back at them with the tiny flecks of aqua splattered around them.

My parents.

I may have left something out when I was talking about my parents. Or just lied about it. I couldn't tell. Anyways, there's a different reason as to why I left them. Yes, I couldn't stand the way they hid me from everyone, and we did move, but, after we moved to the country side... Robbers raided our little shack that I had been forced to call a home. The guys looked like the stereotypical robber that you would imagine, a mask covering their face, dressed in all black, and carrying guns.

~FLASHBACK~

My mother hid me in a closet while my father tried to fend off the group. I could only hear everything, but after a while of loud shouting, I heard gunshots. My eyes widened when they heard the noise, and it seemed to echo in the tiny wooden closet. I slowly opened the door, making sure they were in another room. Shoving the door open, the hinges released a loud _creeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak _and I scrambled away. I heard clumpy footsteps as I struggled with the heavy window, my arms thin like noodles. Just as the door slammed open, the _pop_ of the window opening joined with the air and I threw myself over the ledge.

Landing in a rosebush, I could feel the thorns prickling against my pale skin. I heaved myself out of the flowery mess and stumbled away from the house, the heavy smell of blood following me. I could taste the metallic pang on my tongue and smell it in my nose. Not only from where the thorns broke my skin, but the smell followed me and leaked out of the house. Turning back, I could see a robber aiming at me before giving up. After running a whiles away, I ended up in the city of butter. I tripped on a crack and fell onto the paved streets, my vision swallowed up by blackness.

~END OF FLASHBACK~

I shook my head, cold streams of water falling down my face. Tears. Pushing them away, they only got replaced by new ones. I unfurled my clenched fists, rolling off the purple sheets. Giving a glance to the clock placed by my bed, I found that about thirty minutes had passed since the meeting. I decided to shower before getting started on packing.

Stepping onto my cold bathroom tiles, I pull off my clothes, the shower already streaming behind me. Placing everything where they belonged, the shower was already warm when I stepped in, so I turned down the temperature. Allowing the water to slip down my body, I thought about somethings that needed to be thought about. Why didn't I tell the others about my parents?

"Because they would see me differently." I whisper under my breath, turning off the running water. Grabbing the body wash, I hear a familiar voice that mainly stays silent.

"_Maybe because you just were scared of the truth."_ Crystal, a spirit inside of my mind, replied, coming out of her silence. I stopped doing whatever I was doing, surprised by her sudden presence. Crystal had been silent for about seven years, ever since I ran away. She started talking to me around when I was 6, when the blood ad worked. My spirit claimed that she was the ocelot they took blood from, and that they didn't notice that they killed the young jungle cat.

I thought about what Crystal said. "What do you mean?" I couldn't stop myself from asking the question, even if I truly did know what she meant. I could feel the spirit smirk to herself for some reason, seeming to want to hide something.

"_Nothing~~"_ She snickered, not even attempting to hide it. I frowned while turning off the water, reaching for a fluffy white towel that was placed outside the glass shower. I didn't press her more, knowing already that she wouldn't give anything else up. I quickly dried off and put my home clothes back on, deciding not to wear pants since the shirt was long. I threw the towel into the laundry basket, not wanting to dry myself with yellow fur next time I took a shower. The whole process was done in a comforting silence.

I just wanted to flop on my bed, but I unfortunately had to start packing. I pushed myself off the bed, dragging myself to the storage room to grab a suitcase. I dashed back to my room, the case bumping into a few things. Opening my closet, I found that a lot of my clothes were the same as I was wearing earlier. I grabbed a few of things and folded them, placing them inside the roomy case before slamming it shut.

I looked at the clock, finding that it was about curfew. The leader and generals were most likely playing some games, or talking about the trip. It was certain Jason would go, not only because he's in Team Crafted, but also because he's the battle strategist. The young general took on a lot of responsibility as it came to him, not wanting to decline any offer that was given to him, knowing that others probably would kill for his positions. The astronaut was very stressed, everyone could see that, but he just shrugged it off.

I was pulled out of my thoughts as the curfew bell rang throughout the city, and I rushed into my bed. "Night Crystal." I murmured, waiting for a response.

All I got was silence as I felt my eyelids close.

WHOO! I GOT IT DONE! Finally... My friend (looking at you Cloud) was begging for this story. So, I did a power move and finished it today. EVEN THOUGH I HAD A MUSICAL EARLIER, AND IT'S LIKE 9:30 WHERE I AM, I DID IT. You guys are welcome. But yeah. Did you clanmates like Crystal? TELL MEEEEEE. Also, I just want to say that Leia isn't my OC. I asked my friend for one, and she gave me her. My OC hasn't shown up yet. Correction, my MAJOR OC hasn't shown up yet. I'll tell you which one she is later. Anyways, I'll see my clanmates later! KK, so, BYE!


	6. Prepared

I slammed the button on my alarm, not even bothering to glance at the alarm. I knew I always woke up at seven, even on the weekend. Yawning and stretching like a cat, I was careful not the rip the sheets as I threw them over my shoulder. My mind was filled with snores in one corner, and my thoughts were pushed to the other corner. I mentally laughed, glad that Crystal was able to get some sleep.

I changed into my usual clothing, a cheetah-print skirt and tank-top that clashed with my blonde hair terribly. However, it was the only clothing that I was wearing when I ran away. I pushed the thoughts into another corner of my mind, instead focusing on my excitement.

If they chose me, that must mean that I'm trust-worthy. They only choose the most powerful and trust-worthy people to do missions like this. The same goes for defending the city. The city has very tight defenses that, if someone exploited a weakness in it, when we would be doomed. It strives off of defense, and then offense, then the supplies and help that quest-takers do.

I climbed down my tree, taking a breath. I sucked in a breath of cold air, not enjoying the temperature of the air. It usually was warm and summery, but today the air was chilled and suffocating. Not a good way to start off a mission, but we would have to keep moving, which would heat up our bodies.

I stared to walk, and just before exiting the block, I spotted Camron talking to Jason outside his house. The general had his hand on the young boy's shoulder, his hand paling from the strong grip that held it. Camron was staring at his mentor's face, nodding his head every now and then. I was tempted to eavesdrop, but I forced the feeling down by just watching from a nearby bush. The lush green shrubbery hid me from the line of sight that my teammates had I made sure that even my enhanced hearing couldn't hear them from my location.

Jason had his helmet off, allowing his apprentice to see his usually hidden features. The only people who have ever seen his face were the actual Team Crafted, and Camron. His helmet was under his armpit, the sunlight glinting off of the glass.

By the looks of it the discussion was serious and heated. Camron didn't say much, but Jason was speaking a mile a minute. My friend didn't want to interrupt his teacher, but, by the looks of it, he couldn't keep up with the words that the astronaut was saying. With a hand slowly raised, Jason caught the drift and apologized to his student. The former placed his helmet back on his head, and they turned around. I glanced at the watch I had on my wrist just in case. If I sprinted I would be able to make the distance a bit before them.

So I did. I startled people at first as I dashed past them, but the moment they saw that it was me, they waved. I had a slight reputation in my block, but not as much as Sky. Our leader was well known for obvious reasons, but he was very sociable with the citizens, making him an even more likable leader.

By the time that I had my swirling thoughts in a order, I had reached the intimidating silver gates of the establishment that held the meeting room. They didn't fit the feel of actual structure, a butter building with a lining of silver on the doors. The structure was designed to raise off the ground in the back, so the building eventually floated off Earth.

I found that only TC and friends was there, minus Jason and Ian, the ones that weren't actually going, and Ray. The girl was always early, no matter what the event was. She had her suitcase with her, and I felt a stone sink to the bottom of my stomach. I forgot my items. It was only really a bulky backpack, but I forgot it none the less. I was about to sprint back to my house, when I see Edward and Kevin coming over the hill with a bag. That confused me, since they weren't going.

"Leia, you forgot your bag!" A sprinting Edward calls to me, and the others turn to look at the commotion. I feel my face heat up, and I mumble out a thanks to the two as they reach where I'm standing. Everyone but Ian and AJ were here now, and we wanted to wait for them before going indoors.

Soon, they appear over the hill, laughing with and at each other. AJ had slung her bag over her shoulder, the grey bag looking natural against her white costume. When Ian turned his head, he waved to everyone and they ran over to us together, talking all the same.

"So, now that everyone is here, let's go in the meeting room." Sky said what was on everyone's mind, already pulling open the doors. "We just need a quick meeting."

Everyone sat down in their assigned chair, ready to get down to business. "Seto, do they know the plan?" Our leader asks the sorcerer. The latter nods, a smile draw on his lips. "Does everyone have what they need?" A yes rippled through the room, and Sky smiled. "Good. Go to your mentor those of you guys that are staying and say goodbye. If you're going, stand next to your mentor." Everyone did as they were told, and I rushed around the table to stand next to my loud teacher.

"So, are you excited?" Double asks me as I step next to him. A grin was plastered to his face, and his eyes showed his excitement. I couldn't help but smile at my childlike model. He noticed it and smiled even wide, something that I thought was impossible.

"Yeah! Why wouldn't I be?" I look up to my mentor, suddenly deciding that I didn't want to know the answer to that question. "You know what, scratch that. I don't want the answer to the question." Double looks disappointed that he couldn't scare me, but his face lit up soon after.

"That's good. We want every happy camper that we can get!" He smiled again, and placed a hand on my shoulder. I grinned back at him, and suddenly Sky gathered everyone that was going so we could leave.

There. Now everyone can stop yelling at me. I couldn't get this up earlier because I was helping my sister move out of her dorm today. She just finished her fisrt year of collage! Unfortunatly, she still has three or more years :I. Anyways, I'll probably update later in the week since this is just a filler type chap. The action will probably start next chap or the chap after that one, but my OC is coming is soon! Happy dance! I'll see my clanmates later! KK, so, BYE!


	7. Gateway To Adventure

We pushed our way through the raging army, the crowd questioning. Sky had just put out an announcement about how we were leaving, but he didn't put out much information. The crowd was angry, and demanding answers as to where we would be going. I didn't know where we were going either, but I'm guessing that they'll tell us later, after we leave. The trek is most likely a long one, which is the reason that they needed to take so many people with them.

As we finally reached the gateway out of the city, the guards, which knew everything, held back the army. They struggled to get past the armed citizens, shouting at us all the same. I looked over my shoulder, staring at the longing faces. They shouted out for Sky, not wanting to be left alone without their leader.

*Sky's POV* (OMG FINALLY A NEW POV)

I couldn't bring myself to look at the crowd. Each time I did, I couldn't see past the bewilderment that was in their eyes. I did my best to just stare at the map that Jason had placed into my fingers. He really was the only one that understood it, ever though we went over it a few times last night. The astronaut looked over my shoulder to see the map I had, and turned it 180 degrees. Suddenly, it made a lot more sense.

"No problem." Was all he said before turning back to his own map. I chuckled to myself, reaching up a hand to pat my friend on the head. He slapped it away when I started to hit his helmet.

"We ready to depart?" I shouted back to the others, still not turning around. When I heard silence, I assumed the others had nodded. "Guards! The gates!" The guard standing on the watch tower nodded, pulling the lever with a grunt. The brass gates creaked with effort as they were forced open. The creaking interrupted the yelling, but the roar was faintly heard over the noise. I reached down to grab my bags before finally turning around.

The crowd had finally given up, and was just staring at the group. It was eerie how quiet they had suddenly became, but I didn't want to question it. The others were ready, so we turned to walk out the gates. I made sure everyone else walked out before I turned and started out the gates. Right before I stepped out, the crowd shouted out "GOODBYE SKY!"

I didn't turn back, just so that the army wouldn't see the tears that were in my eyes. I raised a hand in the air, making a L with it. The army understands what it means. It means that even if I can't see where you are, I'm always looking at you. I could hear a rustling behind me that meant that they had copied my movement. I walked pasted the gates and joined the others, hearing the gates creak behind me.

*Leia's POV*

"So, what's the plan?" AJ asks, looking at the map in her hands. I giggle as I realize that she's holding it wrong, and Ray turns it for her. "Oh, that makes more sense. Thanks."

"Well, the main outline of the plan is to follow the path on the map." Mitch replies, staring at his own map. I squint at the tiny writing that described each of the places. It was obviously Jason's handwriting, no one else had neat scribbles like him. "But Jason just complicated everything else, so, when the time comes to it, he'll have to explain stuff."

I held back a guffaw as Jason yelled back. "It's not that complicated, you're just stupid!" Ray and AJ burst into full laughter, which I joined in. Jerome was laughing at Sky who was giving us funny looks. Mitch put a hand on his heart and put on his most offended look.

"Now I'm offended." Sky shook his head and looked back at his map, tracing something with his finger. Ty waltzed over to the male and started to converse with him.

"You mean you weren't before? I thought you were always offended." I offered. Ray and AJ both giggled at my joke. Mitch and Fluffy looked confused, and I let out a laugh. "Now I just need to make you two agitated, and my job here is done!" I declared.

"Well you won't be able to agitate this bacca! Not today at least!" The bacca hybrid yelled out, running away. Mitch laughed and followed his fluffy friend. They didn't go that far before they turned back to us.

"Power moves only!" I could hear the Canadian yell. I shook my head, giggling all the same. I turned to the two piles of laughing girls that I call friends. They were hunched over, breathing heavily from laughing so much. AJ was still clutching her sides.

"Come on guys, we got to go. No more time for your childish antics." Sky said, already started down the path. I made a sad face towards the back of Adam's figure, but followed him. The others followed along too, also making sad faces toward Adam.

"But Adam," Ray whines "there is always time for childish antics!" I start giggling as Adam just rolls his eyes and sighs through his nose. He rubs his forehead, obviously annoyed. Ray stops once she sees, but AJ doesn't take notice and continues.

"Yeah! You should know from knowing us for... I don't know how long, but ever since I was 5! You should be used to our 'antics'." AJ picks, doing a cartwheel to in front of our leader. She turned to face him, her arms placed behind her head, a smirk painted on her face, her eyelids closed. She walked backwards, but didn't look at Sky's pissed face until she jogged away from him. She realized what she did and bowed.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry... Should I continue?" AJ said, speaking almost a mile a minute, but slowed down on the last part. She opened her mouth to continue, but Ray interrupted her.

"Please don't." I laughed, and the others joined me for a short amount of time. AJ looked hurt, but she laughed along with us. We started to walk down the path that lead to the first destination. Looking down at the map revealed that we would first end up at a jungle. Jason had scribbled something along the lines like 'Unpopulated?' next to it. It scared me that even Jason didn't know much about where we were going, but I concealed it and didn't feel it.

The whole way there we weren't as crazy, but everyone conversed with one another. Soon we could see the jungle on the edge of the horizon, and the conversations slowed down. Even though time seemed slow, we were soon next to the large amount of trees. I walked over to Jason, just about to ask him a question, but suddenly a growl sounds from next to us.

**Sooooo, yeah. This is totally on time. *sighs* Sorry, I can't lie. Anyways, do you guys know who is gonna join in next chapter? Hint, check the last few A/Ns! ... No? Too lazy? Fiiiiiinnnnnneeeee I'll just tell you! MY OC! Finally :3 I'm excited for it... I just have to figure out which plan that will make it easier to write! Cause I have two ways that the next chapter can go. Anyways, I'll see my clanmates later! KK, so, BYE!**


	8. Trespassers!

**To anyone that understand Swedish, I don't. So, the part with it, I used Google translate. No hate please, because I don't understand what it says, so the grammar is off. Thanks to my friend Kat for telling me this.**

*AJ's POV*

Ray and I whipped around to face the one who growled at us. At first, I thought it was a jungle cat of some sort, or wolves. Instead, I was faced with an angry, no, _furious_ girl. At first, it was hard to tell that she was _even_ a girl. She didn't wear clothing like Ray or Leia. Instead, she wore a dress that was tore at the end. It had about the same pattern as Leia's clothing, a cheetah-print design. Her dress didn't have sleeves, instead were cut clean to show her muscles. I though she would wear shoes, however, a glance at her feet showed that she didn't wear shoes, so the bottom of her feet were crusted with mud.

Her hair was a different matter. It was a dark brown around her face, cut short to curl around just her face and not reach past her chin. It created the main shadows on her face. Running down her back, she had hair that was caramel colored, and went past her waist. The ends were cut into sharp points that fanned out until her wrists, making the end thinner than the start of the hair.

However, her hair or clothing weren't the strange thing about her. No, it was the fact that she had a tail and ears poking off of her body. They were yellow, and had black splotches, just like her dress. Along with that, her nails were midnight black. Not just her finger nails, but her toe nails too. Strange, she didn't seem like the type to use nail polish.

The girl growled again, and right after her, the giant group of cats behind her growled. There were only about seven actually cats, then the girl. We out number them by four, but they could still injure us badly. The cats were flexing their claws like they would with muscles, and circled us like they would with prey. Team Crafted stepped in front of us, and I could only see a few thing from in between their shoulders. I was aware that they all had drawn some sort of weapon, and so had the two other apprentices beside me. I reached into my boots to pull out two long knives.

The girl's eyes focused onto the weapons before flickering back to Adam's face. Her eyes narrowed, but she slowly moved her hands so they faced Adam's chest area. She turned her head to say something to the jungle cat behind her, but I couldn't tell what it was. The language wasn't English or Minecraftian, and I only knew a little of a few other languages.

"Gå berättar Kat att komma hit och ta med mitt svärd. Och lite rep. Bry dig inte om henne, om hon gör något." Leia seemed surprised for some reason. Her ear perked up, and her tail turned as straight as a stick. She dropped her sword down lower, and listened to whatever intensely. The cat growled the message to the others, and they pounded back into the jungle. Now the girl was alone, and I couldn't help but be suspicious.

She stood in the same position as before, just glaring at Adam. The others didn't let down their guards, but had turned to circle around the girl. Her eyes glanced over them ever few moments, but mainly stayed on Adam. Her gaze was anything but friendly, and flashed dangerously after a few seconds of us not leaving our positions.

Soon, a pair of feet sounded from inside the jungle. I turned to see one cat rushing back with rope and a sword in its mouth. I narrowed my eyes. It was obvious what the sword was for, but I couldn't see why the girl would need rope.

"Kat var upptagen. Hon var ingenstans att finna. Vi antar att hon var på jakt efter sig själv." The cat growled under its breath. It dropped the items in front of the brunett and bowed to her.

"Tack. Du kan lämna." She replied before the cat raced back into the forest. She placed the holder on her back and pulled out the sword while keeping the rope in her hand all the while. No one made a move to stop her, just stared and watched. Stared and watched.

I couldn't see anything as the girl suddenly blurred past us. Team Crafted fell, and soon, so did Team Crafting. The only thing I remember seeing is as I lay on the cold ground of the jungle is the rope. I suddenly realize what she could need the rope for, and I really hoped that I was wrong. Though, it was a very high possibility that I was right. My mind went black.

*Leia's POV*

I woke up in a hot humid area, and I was glad that I wore short-sleeves. There wasn't a roof where we were, but instead the sky with leaves scattered around the edges. I squinted as my eyes met the sun, temperately blinding me. I immediately looked away, only to be met with a jaguar in my face. I would have scrambled away, but my legs were tied firmly together with a large amount of rope. My arms were tied above my head, and the others were in the same position. Adam, Mitch, and Jerome were the only ones that had a gag.

The jaguar moved away from my face and ran into a small building made out of a bush. Looking around, I found that the same building was planted around the little valley that was where we were. One jaguar was walking in and out of a rock, yowling after another smaller cat. The young cat dashed towards the older one with some type of green plant in its muzzle.

Looking over a Quentin, I held back a laugh. He was surrounded by jaguars who were prodding at him with their paws. Not one had their claws out, but he still squirmed away from them. They only watched him with curiosity, not seeming to want to hurt him.

My attention was devised from Quentin as a bush rattled. It was the same one the jaguar had gone into, but this time it came out with the girl that attacked us earlier. My mind still couldn't comprehend what had happened then.

She walked over to us, the same glare as before staring at me. Her eyes shifted from one of us to the next, never changing. She had planted her hands firmly on her hips, her stance was that of a leader's. I couldn't help but feel a tiny part of me fear her, just because of the menacing pose that she was doing now. And I still didn't know her name!

"What is your purpose for being here?" She said finally, her voice cold. I felt myself involuntarily shiver, but no one else seemed to notice.

Adam shouted something into his gag, but it was muffled. Reluctantly, one cat ripped it off of his mouth, dropping it to the ground immediately after before scrambling away. "Why should we tell you? We don't even know your name!" The man shouted, making the girl flinch away from him and cover her ears. Seems like Adam's greatest power isn't his friendship or army, but instead his volume.

"I doubt that I should tell you this, but I'm-"

"Moona! What are you doing?" Another girl was running toward Moona, who was apparently the one that stood in front of us. The new girl had long wavy caramel hair, and her eyes were a light blue. She had pale skin, and was fairly tall. Her clothing was very different that Moona's, a white jacket with vertical blue wave marks over a cyan shirt and paired with dark blue jeans. She had blue headphones with white designs on her head, just like Ty. They were sitting near brown cat ears, which matched with her brown tail.

"Keeping our territory safe, Kat. While you were doing whatever it is that you do." Moona retorts back, rolling her eyes. It seemed like their hate towards the other was genuine, but at the same time, it seemed like an act. Moona's glare softened when she looked at the newcomer Kat, but they kept their sharp edge.

"And what exactly did they do? Look at you the wrong way?" Kat retorts back, also rolling her eyes. They have a little staring contest, giving the other a sharp glare. They face each other with the same stance, hands on their hips and a bent leg. They looked away at the same time, and Kat gave a dry laugh. "I knew it. Just let them free. They did nothing wrong."

"Yeah, we didn't do anything. So, why not let us out?" I interject, my patience wearing thin. Everyone's gazes snap towards me, and I can feel myself shrink under them. But, I stand my ground and return the glare that Moona was giving me. Kat smiles for some reason, and claps her hands together.

"I guess that's decided! So, dear sister, why not cut them loose with your sword?" I could sense my shock. Not only were they actually letting us free, but the tough one was sisters with the kind one. Not only that, but they didn't look to similar. They were two whole different breeds of cat, even with the obvious resemblance. I have to choke down a smile as the grumpy one took out her sword and hacked away at the ropes that tied us up.

As soon as I was released, I jumped up onto my feet and stretched my arms and legs. The others were doing the same thing, just talking amongst themselves. I looked around before going over to Ray and AJ only to find that each inhabitant of the area was taking glances at us every so often.

"_They still don't trust you guys."_ Crystal replied, releasing a huge yawn inside my mind. Even though the spirit gave out great advice, and was very smart, she was always so nonchalant about it. It made me slightly annoyed that she didn't think she was that smart.

"Well, that's obvious." I whispered just loud enough for Crystal to hear. The spirit laughed, clearly amused by what I just said. It confused me as to why she was laughing. Being trapped inside an encampment with everyone watching you wasn't exactly a laughing matter.

"_Of course you know. You aren't stupid. Or blind."_ Crystal replied, her presence expanding in my mind. It seems even spirits need to stretch after a long sleeping period.

**BAM! Done! Posted! Good! So, I started out strong with this chapter. The part where it switched to Leia's POV, not so much. I already knew what I wanted to do in the first part of the chapter. The language that isn't English is Swedish, as stated from the author note up top. If you're wondering who Moona is, she, children, is my own personal OC. Kat belongs to kfcrowe, and Leia to a irl friend. But the updates for this might slow down a tiny bit. Probably just later in the day for now. If you're wondering why, I and Darkwing6, or AJ, am starting a collab together. Yeah. The prologue won't be coming up for a while now, but she's working on the prologue, and we have to get everything together. That's all I'm saying on the matter! I'll see you later my clanmates! KK, so, BYE!**


	9. Understandings Part I

**So guys, if you noticed, today is Friday. Yeah, I'm posting a bit early. But there's a catch. This is only ****_half_**** of the chapter. I'll be posting the next part tomorrow, and then everything will be good again. I also want to say a ****_big_**** thank you to kfcrowe again, for we role-played this chapter, and we both wrote about half and half. She started the first paragraph, and ended it, so you can tell who's chapter is who's. For this though, I wrote the last one. So, onto the chapter!**

*Ray's POV*

The big cats and hybrid girls watched us silently, with hostile or curious gazes. "So who exactly are you?" Adam finally asked.

"We are a group of cats that have lived for generations under the name of Jaguarclan." Moona responded, not really giving our leader much information. I wanted to step in, but this was clearly a conversation for the higher-ups.

"Yeah, okay, but WHO are you?" Jason asked in a feisty tone. A few jaguars growled, clearly upset. Kat chuckled quietly while fiddling with her jacket zipper. Moona stood up straighter, glaring at Jason.

"Stop acting like you're all high and mighty, sis! You may be the leader of this band of kitties, but at the end of the day, you're the same as them. She's Moona or Moonstar the clan leader, I'm Kat the rouge. Now who are you?" Kat intervened, sending a harsh glare at Moona.

"I'm Sky, or Adam, leader of the Sky Army. These are my buddies, Jason," Adam points to Jason, who gives a wave, "Ty, Mitch, Ian, Jerome, Quentin, Bodil, Double or Ryan, and our apprentices, Ray, Leia, and AJ." I give a small wave as Adam says my name, sending a shy smile to Kat.

"See? Now we're getting here," Kat smiled. Suddenly she got a serious face and said, "Now, though I got you out of your bindings, I can't get you completely out of trouble, seeing that you did break one of the major rules of clan life. Why were you trespassing on their territory?"

"Territory? We didn't even realize that we were on someone else's territory. We are gravely sorry." Ty replies, stepping up. He gives a small bow to both Kat and Moona, who are shocked by the formal apology. As everyone else bows, I follow their example. "We are traveling to save another one of us, named Roose."

"Uh, ahem, yeah. Why does this Rooossee need to be saved?" Moona asked, subtly motioning for us to stand again.

"Well, we assume that the squids, our greatest enemies, have taken her hostage. Jason here, our battle strategist, has planned out a route so that way we can save her." Adam steps forward at her offer, standing only a little bit taller than the hybrid.

"Alright then. So she's kidnapped and you're saving her. There's one problem. What if you're lying?" Moona asked.

Adam was obviously taken aback by her daring claim. "L-lying? What purpose would lying serve to my group? To me?" I could tell by his tone of voice that he was getting angry.

"You could avoid punishment for spying on me from Lionclan or Tigerclan. Honestly from my perspective, Roose sounds like a very much made up name." Moona retorted. Kat got an annoyed look, like she didn't like this argument.

"Lionclan or Tigerclan? I honestly have never heard of either." I retorted, finally speaking out. It honestly made me angry that they acted like we weren't here, and I was glad that I opened my mouth. "And Roose is a very real name, because one of my friends is named Roose." Moona opened her mouth, but was interrupted.

"Before you accuse them again, shut up," Kat growled. The cats all started growling at her. "Oh can it kittens. Moona, consider that they are telling the truth. It may spell bad news for the entire forest."

"Fine. But are you absolutely sure that the squids took this Roose person?" Moona asks, suddenly sounding a bit frantic. Her tail starts to wave behind her.

"We're pretty confident," Quentin nodded.

The girl stays silent for a while before she starts pacing, muttering something that sounded like 'This is very bad.' repeatedly under her breath.

Kat pales a little, glancing at Moona every so often "Are you absolutely sure?" Kat asks.

"She was spying on them, then she disappeared. We're sure," Ian exclaimed.

"Well, then it's got to be a coincidence." Kat says to her sister, completely ignoring us. They seemed to be worrying about something very important.

"It _can't_ be a coincidence! It's impossible to be a coincidence. And if you can't take this threat seriously, I might start agreeing with my clan's view of you, outcast," she exclaimed, sending a serious gaze towards Kat.

"Well, it's the only logical thing to think! We can't just jump at every notion that we could be in danger!" Kat shouts back, drawing all of the jaguars' gazes towards her.

"You're considered a rouge for a reason. You weren't born in a clan, and will never live clan life," Moona roared, earning the agreeing growls of the big cats.

"WAIT!" Adam screeches, breaking into their conversation. "What exactly are you talking about? What threat?"

"Why don't you ask the all mighty clan leader? I'm just a rouge," Kat replied in an angry tone.

"Well at least I think about the clan." Moona mutters under her breath. "A few days ago, we got a threat. It was sent to us from squids. We don't know how it got here though; we don't have any lands of water near us."

"They have hybrids now. I've seen it personally. They can walk on land, but not forever," Ty explained. "Maybe it was one of them?"

"They do?" The clan leader snaps her gaze to focus intently on Ty, and so does the rogue. Ty nods his head, staring off into the distance, his eyes foggy.

"Crap, we got a problem. Kat, could you go lead a patrol to look for any on our territory?" Moona asked.

"Right on it leader." Kat replies, bounding off somewhere. It seems weird how they run; on four legs, not two. I watched as she gathered up a group of cats that didn't back away from her slightly, bounding past us with them into the forest.

"Um, leader Moona?" I asked shyly. Her gaze swept to me, and I gulped. "What's your relationship with Kat? You said she wasn't clanborn, you call her sister, and you got in such a big fight, but the next second she was following your orders without question."

Moona pauses for a moment, staring at me. For a moment, I thought she was frozen, but she started to speak. "We're sisters all right. However, the scientist gave her a different breed of cat then I, and it may or may not have gotten her outcast from the rest of the clan." She replies with a somber gaze.

"A different breed? And scientists? I don't understand," Leia asked. It seemed that the time for strictly highly ranked people to talk had passed.

"Scientist. Lab. And... Needles." Moona shivers, looking Leia down. She pauses her gaze at my friends 'extra' body parts, studying them for a while. "It seems like you have had your fair share of experience with what I'm talking about."

"Sadly. So which breeds are you? I got ocelot," she responded.

"I'm a jaguar hybrid, which is why I get along so well with the clan here. Kat is a Bengal cat hybrid, not a Bengal tiger. Scientists, you think they would have any brains to make sisters the same breed of cat!" The leader replies, throwing her hands into the air.

"I see why she's not part of the clan, but why does she stick around anyway then?" AJ asked.

"Because... She's my sister, and... She doesn't really have anywhere else to go." Moona whispers the last part under her breath.

"Doesn't have anywhere? Can't she just go make her own house away from your territory?" Ryan asked, surprising us by getting involved. Adam, Jason, and Ty had moved to the side, quietly conversing.

"Well, she doesn't really like being alone. Though she doesn't have mono-phobia, she just likes having someone to talk to." Moona replies.

"I can understand that. Being alone is a terrible thing. Family is the most important thing in the world," I admitted.

"Even when you have to grow up with a different one." Moona smiles, looking down at her hands.

"Sis! We found scents of salt water near the ravine. No actual squids, but we did manage to find a strip of cloth that we could track," Kat yelled, bursting into the clearing.

"What?! But, I checked that ravine every day! How recent was it?!" Moona turns to her sister, eager to know everything. The yelling makes every cat look at us again, and she suddenly goes rigged. "Actually, let's take this inside my den. Come all of you."

We followed her to an oversized tree, maybe twenty feet wide, and entered the hole in the trunk. Inside was a huge hollow, containing two nest like shapes and a chest. The rest of it was open space, where we stood uncertainly. Moona sat down cross legged in one nest, and Kat laid down on the other.

"Sit down." Moona suggested, motioning for us to sit on the ground. I did so, finding it rough and cold against my bare skin.

"The cloth was torn and left on the brambles. The tracks were stuck in the mud, headed north-east. Scent was strong, and I can't believe that the morning patrol missed it. Maybe they got lazy and didn't cover that area?" Kat inferred.

Moona's eye twitch. "Who was the morning patrol? I have to speak to them about this. It's unacceptable! We've covered that area for decades!"

"Lionspot, Wingfeather, Pebblestream, and Swifthorn. I told you that Swifthorn causes trouble, but you didn't believe me. He's always making fun of me," Kat ranted.

"I'll give them a piece of my mind later. Have the other cause any other trouble lately?" Moona shrugs off, giving a little sigh.

"Well Wingfeather did get into that duel with Canyonstone, but it was completely within the warrior code as an official duel," Kat reminded. She looked at the piece of magenta cloth with curiosity.

"Uh, what does any of that have to do with us?" Mitch asks, ignoring that Adam was about to nod off. Moona sends a wary glance at Mitch from the corner of her eye, not liking the interruption.

"Nothing at all, but it's her job as clan leader to punish and reward clan members," Kat answered with a large grin.

"Yes, and I take that job very seriously, just like old Willowstar." Moona says, a certain twinkle in her eyes. "But I suppose we should talk to you about what you are needed for."

"Preferably. You need to understand that we have a time limit and need to be going as soon as possible," Adam said seriously.

"Right. And that is what we are here to talk to you about; your journey." Moona says, nodding her head seriously. Kat's face loses its humor, becoming serious and dark like her sister's.

"You see, they're one of the three great clans that have roamed this forest for centuries; Jaguarclan, Tigerclan, and Lionclan. Each can be extremely territorial. Just be lucky you ran into the clan that specializes in logic. Not that Moon has any of that," Kat joked half-heartedly.

"At least I have common-sense, something that you lack greatly in." Moona retorts, rolling her eyes jokingly.

"So true. Anyway, Tiger and Lion are fierce. Lion's trait is justice, and Tiger's is stealth. Cross Lion and they'll probably lock you up for a long time. Cross Tiger and they'll kill you all. Cross us and we'll banish you. It's a tradition type thing. My point is that you need a bodyguard that's well respected by all clans, namely a leader or deputy," Kat explained.

"So, you're saying..." Jerome starts, saying what we all want to say.


	10. Understandings Part II

"Yeah. You either need me or my deputy to come with you," Moona finished.

Sighing, Adam leans back. "Well then, who's your deputy? Because I want to have a choice about who I'm stuck with." I move my eyes off of Adam to find that Kat has a glint in her eye.

Moona muttered something about getting someone and left us alone. "You'll choose my sister," Kat told. "Trust me, Moon's a lot more likable than her deputy bitch. Her name's Rowanpelt. She thinks she's the best cat in the forest because her mom was the old leader.'

"Really? Was the old leader even that bad? And how's Moona the leader if Rowanpelt was the daughter of the old leader?" I asked, not getting some bits of how this whole clan thing worked out still.

"Willowstar was the best, she treated Moona and I like equals. But in the end, she knew that I wouldn't be accepted in the clan, and chose Moon as her deputy. When Willowstar died, Moona took her place, and she would have chosen me for deputy, but Willowstar had told her not to because some cats might try to murder me. So she chose the cat closest to Willowstar; Rowanpelt. I hate her," Kat growled. Her tail fluffed out and a growl emanated from her chest.

Right at that moment, Moona walked back in with a jaguar following close behind her. The she-cat kept her head held up high and her tail stood as straight as a stick waving in the air. I could feel the dislike for this cat coming off of Kat, and I could tell that I was going to dislike her too. "Everyone, meet Rowanpelt, my deputy." Moona said with no excitement in her voice. It was flat instead.

"I am Rowanpelt, daughter of the mighty Willowstar! As such a regal cat, I was blessed to be able to speak English as well as the normal cat tongue. I assume that you are all stupid enough to travel across other territories. No problem, I can seduce any tiger or lion we run into at the flick of an ear. That is the power of a mighty leader's heir," the jaguar bragged, puffing her chest out.

I cringed at how she praised herself, pushing myself away from her. "Every cat in the forest fears me in battle, knowing how strong I truly am. Every time that we run into battle, I am able to stop it from injuring any of our clanmates! I may just be the deputy, but I am truly the power behind the throne." She finished, acting like Moona wasn't standing right next to her. Adam had placed his head into the palm of his hand, yawning during the speech every so often.

"So yes Moona, I think that leaving this great cat in charge of the clan while you accompany us through other territories is a great idea! She can certainly do much," Ty exclaimed in an extremely believable-yet-fake smile. Kat giggled loudly in her nest.

"Why thank you young man!" Rowanpelt exclaimed, walking up to Ty. She rubbed against him, a purr rising in her throat. I held back a gag, and Ty swung away from her, not content with the act of kindness.

"In that case, let me make an announcement to the clan. Rowanpelt... why don't you go out and tell your friends," Moona suggested. Rowanpelt sprang up and darted out of the tree, with Moona following soon after. "May all cats old enough to catch their own prey join under Tall Tree for a clan meeting!" she yelled in the distance. Kat had a satisfied smirk on her face.

We waltzed outside, acting as if we had nothing to do with the meeting that was going to occur. Moona waited for us to join her at the middle of her tree, and Kat easily bounded up to her. They climbed back down to help us since we weren't cat hybrids like them, and Leia helped them help us.

Once we were all precariously perched on a branch, Moona gave the rundown of the situation to the clan, announcing that she would be leaving the clan in Rowanpelt's paws (much to their grief). Once she dismissed them, we all climbed down and Moona and Kat grabbed their weapons. Moona had a dual edged iron sword, while Kat had two silver rapiers.

We had to wait while the cats flocked Moona to try to stop her, but nothing could change her mind. Rowanpelt stood at the edge of the crowd, waiting for a crowd to flock her, but no one did. We got ready to depart quickly, Moona and Kat only having to grab a few things.

"Hey Kat, are you coming?" I asked once when she walked into our group.

"Of course, she has nothing else to do at the clan." Moona replied for her sister, studying the map that Jason had given her.

Moona held it sideways and upside down, trying to figure it out. Kat grabbed it out of her hands and looked at it momentarily before pointing in a direction.

"We go that way from here. Just know that there's no actual path after the town that we sometimes visit." Kat said, staring at the path that Jason hadn't know if it was actually there.

"So why do the clans hate each other?" I asked Kat as we began walking down said path.

"It's really just bad blood. Some incidents with ancestors. Stuff like that really." Kat replied with a shrug.

"Oh," I muttered. Adam and Jason were talking again, but the rest of the group was silent. Eventually we had to cross a river, which had stepping stones to jump on.

"So, why's Adam so uptight about Roose? It seems like he defends her pretty well." Kat asks, jumping across the stepping stones with a certain grace that I wish I had.

"It was Adam's idea to send her on the mission, so he feels like it's his fault. He's one of those guys who can't live with guilt if he can fix it," I responded as I jumped shakily onto the first stone.

"Oh. I guess that makes sense." Kat replies, waiting for me at the other side of the river.

I hopped across them with a bit of struggle, but made it to the last stone, where the water ran over the surface. I tried jumping, but got a bad start and began to fall to the water.

Quickly, Moona, who had waited for me to cross first, leaped over to help me. She was able to heave me over to the shore, but she tipped back and fell into the rushing water. I let out a cry that alarmed the others.

Soon we submerged, but I noticed that Moona started floundering around like an idiot. A pair of hands shot into the water and grabbed our shirts, pulling us clean out of the water and even suspended both of us in the air.

"I got you two." Adam heaved, pulling us out of the water. Our clothes were dripping the clear liquid as we were pulled onto the shore. Moona sat down, clearly mad. She started shaking the water off herself like a dog, spraying the others.

Kat started laughing like a maniac, eventually falling onto her back and pointing weakly at Moona. "I told you that you should have learned to swim! You said you would be too careful to need it! Haha, sucker!"

"Well, just shut up. You aren't the best at swimming either." Moona said, a frown plastered to her face. Kat ignored her comments and continued to laugh.

"Come on you two. We've got places to be," Adam ordered. Kat suddenly stopped laughing and stood up, marching over to Adam.

Moona pushed herself onto her two legs, shaking the rest of the water out of her long hair while doing so. The others were already walking through the thick underbrush, pushing the plants that blocked them angrily.

"Yo sunglasses. Just so you know, the clans are our life. Disrespecting a leader is like breaking a law in your army, or like an outsider randomly punching a general in one of your armies. Don't bother asking how I know about your culture, 'cause I'm not going to tell you," Kat quietly told Adam.

"Fine. Just, hurry up, please? We need to make sure that we have enough time to reach them, then save Roose." Adam told Kat, his voice frantic. She took a deep breath, but slowly nodded. Our leader whispered a thank you, and Kat went over to help her sister dry off.

"Moon. Let's kick up the pace to our regular traveling speed. These guys need to get there fast," Kat told her. Moona nodded, standing up. They turned towards the path and started speeding down the trail on all fours, catching up with the rest of the group. "C'mon, you guys need to go faster!" Kat yelled over her shoulder.

"Well, looks like we're the slowpokes now." Jason attempted to joke before breaking into a sprint. The others shook their heads, but hurried after him. AJ, Leia, and I stayed paced with each other, but we quickly caught up to the others.

"What the hell? How can they travel that fast as a constant?" Ian asked in awe. Not only were the sisters easily ahead of us, they were swinging on trees and joking around too.

"Dood, they're cats. What do you expect?! They lived in the jungle all their life!" Leia says, throwing her hands into the air. She wasn't doing any tricks like the sisters, instead walking with us.

"You crazy gurl," AJ joked, laughing. We continued for a while until Moona suddenly stopped.

"What?" I asked, wondering what could have made the clan leader stop. I glanced over her shoulder.

"C'mon Moon, you agreed to help them to their friend. Stop hesitating at the border," Kat exclaimed, walking ahead and stopping a few meters away. "See? I'm in Tigerclan territory now. Your goal is to do that too," Kat said like she was talking to a toddler.

"Wait. Kat, come back over here. I smell... Something. And I don't trust it." Moona responds, looking around at the surrounding trees.

"What, I don't smell any-" Kat suddenly stopped and unsheathed her rapiers, glancing around. "Come out, Ravenstar, Goldenstar," she boomed.

"Of course. You'll want to see who rips you to shreds." A girl purrs, slinking out of the shadows. Her hybrid ears and tail were a dark black, darker than the shadows. Behind it followed a yellow-furred hybrid that walked out of the trees silently, and with his chest puffed out.

"Little early for the Gathering, isn't it, Moonstar?" the golden haired man asked. He had a blade securely strapped to his tail, presumably for battle.

"This isn't about the Gathering. Someone that isn't entangled in our business needs to pass through the forest. Allow them passage." Moona said, walking up to face the two hybrids. Her voice was formal, clearly she respected these cat, but there was a tiny bit of hate laced into it too.

"Why would we do that? Warrior code rule two says we can attack anything in our own territory. For example, I could shred this rouge," the black haired girl growled pointing a claw at Kat.

"Hey, Ravenstar, calm down. You know that I hate to break the Warrior code. But you're also forgetting the part that say that as long as the leader or deputy of the clan is with the travelers, you can't hurt them." Moona says back to the hybrids. "My sister is part of the travelers, and I am the leader, so you can't fight anyone, unless you want to break the code." Moona smiled.

"Damn, she's right. Lionclan, return to the hollow," the guy, who I'm presuming is Goldenstar, ordered. Afterward, about six lions leaped down from the surrounding trees and headed into the forest to the left. "Ravenstar, have your tigers retreat. Don't break the warrior code. You know what happened last time your clan did."

"We beat their butt." Kat interrupted, not bothering to hide her smirk. "Moon isn't stupid; she knows the code in and out. She's been trained not to break it. And she hasn't broken it." The tigers that jumped out of the trees gave the rouge a glare before dashing into their part of the forest.

"That's Jaguarclan for you. Think they're the rulers of the forest. Just you wait. Tigers will have their time, and they'll take it by force if they have to," Ravenstar growled before following her clanmates.

"Don't you dare." Moona glared at the leaving leader, her eyes dark. It seemed like tension was so thick you could see it. "Rowanpelt might be naive, but she is strong. Don't doubt her power. The jaguars know that they have to listen to her, whether they like it or not."

"I'm sure they won't. I'll tell my clan to not cause trouble for you," Goldenstar replied. He bowed gracefully before running back to his own territory. Soon the area was quiet again.

"Goldenstar always was nicer than Ravenstar, but I feel bad because it seems like he's caught up in our battle." Moona sighs. "I'm sorry you guys had to see that. Let's go through Lionclan territory; they understand." She says to Adam, rubbing the back of her neck.

We started running again, but Kat stayed closer to the group this time. "What Moona said wasn't correct. Goldenstar was never nicer, he could be a bastard when it came down to it, but he followed the warrior code regardless of if he liked it or not. Rumor had it that when he was an apprentice, he never got a punishment ever," Kat told us.

"Well, does she know that? It doesn't seem like your sister would be very into rumors. She's more like the business type." Bodil said, finally deciding to contribute to our conversations.

"Moon wouldn't care if he murdered when he was an apprentice. She only cares when it comes to her clan, family, and what she believes is right. However, as a rouge, rumors and secrets can be worth as much as gold," Kat responded with a half-smile.

"Oh. I guess that makes sense. Wouldn't she be mad at Goldenstar though? After all, I'm pretty sure that would break something in this code you guys are talking about." Bodil said back. His heavy accent didn't seem to make it hard for Kat to understand him.

"The warrior code is very specific, so there are loopholes. Rule... fourteen I think says that 'An honorable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win their battles, unless they are outside the warrior code or it's necessary for self-defense.' In a way, that's super easy to surpass, you just need to lure a cat outside any clan's territory or let them get an upper hand so you can use 'self-defense'. All fifteen rules have loopholes," Kat responded back. Her Swedish accent had been getting thicker and thicker, and right now it's becoming hard to catch everything she says. Bodil's accent has been increasing too.

"How do you know of these loopholes? Have you used any yourself?" Bodil replies, casting wary glances towards her. Kat responded with a sly smile before laughing. Moona was already a good ways away, waiting for the group to catch up.

By the time the sun set, Kat informed us that we were out of the clan territory. A few minutes after that, AJ and Ryan collapse on the floor from exhaustion. Moona and Kat sourly agreed to make camp, but neither of them looked tired or even fatigued.

It seems like they want to get away from the on their clans' territory, not wanting to be ambushed at night. Kat seemed to understand how to pitch up a tent, but Moona sat off to the sit, observing how we set it up for future reference.

"What I don't think you understand is that Moona and I live very different lives in close quarters. The clans are almost tribal, while I make runs to towns and cities for certain supplies and resources. She may not understand houses, tents, and electricity, but she understands much more about swords than I ever will," Kat explained as we set up the first tent.

"Oh. That explains things." I give my short reply, not really knowing what to add on at the end. Even though it seemed like Moona understood some of what Adam was talking about during introductions, I don't elaborate.

As the camp started to form, generals paired up to sleep, and those who had apprentices shared tents with them. Moona made no move to ask for a tent, nor did Kat. Instead, they curled up on the ground outside, back to back. Mitch pulled me inside our tent, and we drifted off to sleep.

**... There you go! I had to finish my homework first before I could get my laptop back, otherwise I would have posted this a little earlier. Uhhhh, I don't really have anything else to say... Oh! You guys remember when I almost never updated this story because I couldn't write that chapter? Well, those days are gone! This story is suddenly really easy to write... But yeah. To everyone that I said I would put in your OCs in this chapter, I, well... lied. I'm sorry, okay?! But, I promise to add them in the next chapter. Regarding OCs, I have two requests. I still need and OC for Ty, and I need an OC that you wouldn't mind eventually turning evil, and likes Bodil. That's it. I'll give you... two days? Yeah. Two days after this is posted. So, yeah! I'll see my clanmates later! KK, so, BYE!**


	11. Town Business

*Bodil's POV*

I turned in my bed, facing away from my friend for possibly the millionth time. Double had taken the middle, saying that he was the mentor and close friend, so he had no problem. I had taken the right side, and Leia took the other side. I wasn't a mentor, so I had to either sleep in my own tent, or sleep with Double and Leia. I took my friends because we were running short on tents.

I threw off the blanket I shared with Double, pulling my face away from my pillow. I wanted sleep, but I knew I wasn't going to get any soon. My eyes were heavy, feeling like they were filled with lead in the dark tent.

I slowly opened the zipper, not wanting the loud noise to wake my sleeping friends. I squinted as the harsh light met my eyes, and I realized I barely got any sleep throughout the night. I felt bad, knowing that I would be a reason the group would fall behind. Most likely we'll take a break, and everyone will be mad at me for complaining.

The thoughts kept running through my head as I stepped out of the tent, but I was able to stop my rapid thoughts to notice the shape sitting at the top of the hill that circled our camp. The figure was staring off into the jungle, and I could instantly tell it was Moona. I stepped forward, about to make my way towards her, but my foot snaps an innocent twig in half. Her tail twitches at the noise, and she turns, ready to charge and attack.

I raise my hands in surrender, and she drops her lethal position, clearly disappointed. It had seemed like the jaguar hybrid wanted to tear some flesh under her claws as it squirmed before stopping all its movement. She turned back to the jungle, but I didn't miss the movement that told me to join her. I sprinted up the hill.

I plopped down next to Moona who only acknowledged my presence with a flick of an ear. We sat in silence, staring at the jungle as it hid the rising sun and the bright colors that accompanied it danced up the sky. I occasionally stole glances at the strange girl, just to make sure she hadn't abandoned me to go sleep a few more minutes.

The time that the sun was see able above the tall trees, I moved my eyes to look at her. She was staring at me from the corner of her eyes, chocolate brown orbs staring into my dark shades. My own orbs widened in surprise before gradually falling back into my eye sockets. I snapped my gaze back to the setting sun, a light pink blush dusting my cheeks from embarrassment.

"Why did you guys come this way? The Squid base is in the direction completely opposite of this one," Moona's soft voice reached my ears, surprising me as she broke the silence. She yet again was staring at the beautiful sunrise. I ignored the slight noises of the others shifting in their beds, probably waking up.

"I don't really know myself. All I know is that we're getting help from some friends," I admitted, even if I didn't want to tell myself that. They hadn't seemed to trust me and Double with the information, but it also was like they didn't want to have to gather help.

"Oh. Because-"

"Bodil! We need your help taking down the tents. We're gonna have a quick breakfast after that," Double interrupts Moona, waving up to us from inside the camp. Moona looked agitated that she was ignored and interrupted.

"Okay! I'll be down in a sec," I call back to my friend, who turns and goes to give his apprentice some help with our tent. "What were you saying?" I ask the brunette next to me, who I stare down from as I stand up. She shakes her head, jumping onto her legs. She slowly makes her way down to Kat, who's stretching just like a normal cat would, arching her back and scratching her claws against the firm ground.

I make my slow descend down the steep hill, my thoughts whirling around, pounding against my skull. The brunette obviously wanted to capitalize on what she was about to say. I wanted to somehow convince the girl to tell me, but I wasn't sure how, and we were very busy right at the moment.

Everyone was busy getting ready as Mitch got started on cooking, him and Jerome already done with putting down their tents after going on trips together so many times. The smell made my mouth water, and the sound of sizzling bacon didn't help settle my hunger. I urged the others to work faster so we could eat, but they acted like snails and moved slowly.

We eventually sat down to eat a meal filled with protein and energy. Everyone was revved up and ready to go, hopping with energy. We set off towards where Kat said there was a village, and Moona agreed with her. There wasn't a path like the former said, but she knew the way really well.

It wasn't that long before we reached the peaceful village. It was small, quiet, and had an air of serenity to it. Everyone seemed to calm down when they stepped in between the wooden houses, but Kat seemed bursting with excitement.

"You guys have to meet my friends! They're the best EVER!" Kat shouted, hopping from one foot to another. Her eyes were frantically looking around. Sighing, Moona walked up to her sister and placed a firm hand on the girl's shoulder, staring at her sky blue eyes.

"Kat, calm down. We'll see your friends, but only momentarily. We have to go." Moona said in a calm voice, her eyes gentle. It surprised us; we were used to seeing her harsh, serious side, and didn't think that she could be calming. Kat did calm down, her muscles relaxing and her eyes stopped moving so fast.

"Sorry, I get like that when I'm too excited." Kat explained, scratching her head. Moona had already moved on, looking around aggressively. Adults and children looked out the windows of their houses before backing away and opening their doors to walk out. "Oh yeah, the villagers love it when we visit. Since Moona rarely visits, they crowd her."

Kat wasn't lying. Already, a huge crowd that probably made up most of the village was crowding the girl, the children in front. Moona was clearly surprised, moving her tail out of the grasp of children every so often. She whipped around, trying to face everyone as they spoke to her. They didn't notice us as we sneaked behind a house.

"Moona, please sing us a song!" One kid, probably the leader of the kids, shouted, startling said girl. The children started chanting it, and the adults only chuckled to themselves.

"But-"

"Please?" A little girl, no older than four, walked up to Moona, staring up at her with sad sky blue eyes. Moona tensed up, unable to look away from the young girl. The former sighed, muscles relaxing as our companion gave in to the little girl. All of the kids cheered.

"Fine. But I get to pick the song, okay?" Moona asked, and all the kids nodded their heads so hard that I thought they would fall off. "How about... Yeah. May I please have a guitar please?" The brunette asked, and someone handed her one. She started to pluck at the strings in a tune.

"_Then one day, a stra-a-nge creature walked into town._

_It came in from the wi-i-i-ld._

_It was a half human half chimp hybrid chi-i-ld." _Her voice raised in volume for the line before returning to normal.

"_And it said 'I am the chimpy child, on who fortune has smiled.'"_ Her voice went higher in pitch for the child's voice.

"_'If we- could live in peace, then all hatred would ce-e-ase._

_If we could live with love, get the blessings from up above._

_If we could just hold hands, maybe then we'd understand.'_

_And the people, the people, they beat him to death with a rock!"_ She ended the song with three extra guitar strums, a smile on her face. All the kids were laughing, and the parents didn't seem to mind. Handing the guitar back to who gave it to her, she stood up, and walked back over to us. The villagers dispersed and went back into their houses. Kat smiled at us, clearly pleased with the events that just took place.

"Now, let's go see my friends, Michelle and Dante! C'mon guys!" Kat said, waving her hands in the air. She dashed one way, making Moona shake her head, but she couldn't stop the smile from showing.

**... Okay, I got nothing. I LIED, OKAY?! But, three OCs will appear next chapter. They know who they are. Well, the first two, I'm not so sure about the other one... But I promise that three new OCs will appear. Also, the song is the Life and Times of Jerome. Not sure the actual name, but that's the version that I used. I recommend it. I still need someone that wouldn't mind being evil and likes Bidol. Don't worry, you won't instantly be bad, you won't even be working with the Squids! I already have a plan for that... Huehuehue... Anyways, I'll see my clanmates later! KK, so, BYE!**


	12. Survivor

**I almost didn't make it! Whoo! Thank AwesomeKing13, or else I would have just been a lazy piece of poo and done it tomorrow.**

I doubt that would have helped you anyways.

_For once, I agree with that idiot._

**What are you two doing here?! You weren't introduced yet!**

_We do what we want, B-_

**Don't you dare swear in my author notes. I will kill you.**

Technically, you can't actually kill him... But whatever.

**I can, actually. POWER TO THE WRITERS! So don't piss me off.**

Fineeeeeeeee..._ Even though it's really fun pissing you_ off.

**Stop. Uh, you, the reader, continue with the story. You'll see what I have to deal with then.**

* * *

><p>*Unknown's POV*<p>

I sat up in my bed, my senses alert. The last thing I remembered was killing a creeper before blacking out near a village. Looking around in the room I had been placed in, and found that it wasn't that bad. There was a wooden bookshelf filled to the brim with books of all different shapes, sizes, and colors. To the right of me, there was a wooden table that had my bow and quiver filled with arrows, and my green bag.

In a dark corner huddled a bat, staring at me with intense blood red eyes. It hung upside down on a structure pole made of wood. It wasn't the only animal in the room. Curled up at the foot of the bed I sat in lied an ocelot, one green eye staring at me suspiciously.

I suddenly hear creaking steps pound their way towards me, and I reach for my bow, notching an arrow that I poised towards the sound. A boy appears, holding a steaming bowl of soup in his hands. I point the arrow at his heart, ready to shoot if necessary. He notices me and almost spills the soup on his blue and white checkered jacket.

"Who are you?" I asked, never moving my gaze. He swallows, not knowing what to do without a weapon. I waver. I don't think I ever shot something defenseless but pigs and cows. The boys scoots backward and places the bowl of soup on a table, raising his hands up.

"I-I'm Dante. My sister and I found you laying at the edge of town, so we dragged you over to our house." I could hear the nervousness edging his voice, and I could tell that he was being serious. I put my arrow back, but left the wooden bow in my hand.

"Where, and who, is your sister?" I asked, making sure to keep my voice light. I didn't want to scare him, even though I already did.

"Michelle's downstairs cooking some lunch. She's my sister." He replied, a smile drawn onto his face as he talked of her. They seemed close, and I couldn't help smiling. "Oh yeah, can you stand?"

"I don't know..." I said, starting to shift my legs. There was a sharp pain that spread up it, but I ignored it and told myself that my muscles were just sore from not moving much. "Why wouldn't I-" I cut myself off as I saw my legs, shock spreading over my face. I stayed silent and still, just staring at my thin legs.

"... That's why." Was all Dante said as I inspected my legs. They were burned, the hairs singed and turned to ashes. The skin on my legs burned with pain, making me wince every time they were moved or touched. My face turned from shocked to horrified, and I could feel a knot twisting its way into my stomach. I still tried to sit up, and surprised both of us when I stood.

"H-how am I standing...?" I ask, staring around in wonder. The boy in front of me smiled and handed me a still steaming bowl of soup. I carefully took the spoon and brought it to my lips, melting as the liquid met my tongue.

"Oh right! I just remembered to ask, even though I should have before. What's your name?" Dante asked, tilting his head, eyes full of curiosity. I looked up from my bowl, almost done.

"Ashley."

*Moona's POV*

I watched my sister prance down the gravel road, excited to see her friends. The last time she saw them was two weeks ago, when she hadn't seen them after three weeks. Kat would have moved in with them if it wasn't so hard for anyone to find money. Since the village was so small, it was hard to find a job, but Michelle somehow got one as a cook. It was just enough to support the two of them.

_Wow, I'm surprised that you remember her name. I thought you were one of _those _people._

I sigh, not bothering to reply to Nij, one of the voices in my head. The other one was-

Shut up Nij. You didn't remember her name, so you shouldn't open your pie-hole.

Jin. He was the kinder of the two, usually supporting me. Nij could be nice sometimes, but most of the time he just acted like a jerk that only thought of himself.

_Hey!_ He shouted in my mind, the noise echoing around in the empty space. I winced, not expecting the sudden rise in volume. _Oh.. Sorry._

Who knew you could be so nice? Jin retorted, his presence rolling his eyes.

"Don't tease him too much." I whisper under my breath, just so the others wouldn't hear me. No one knew about the spirits in my mind, not even Kat. I felt bad about not even telling my own sister, but I'm sure there were things she didn't tell me.

… Fine. Only for you.

_Awwww! Should I start shipping you two?_ Nij teased, sarcasm lacing his voice. I scowled. The spirit usually wasn't this annoying, but I always got annoyed whenever someone brought up my love life. I wasn't that close with that many people so they would be allowed in my personal space.

We finally got to the twins' house, but the two wouldn't stop arguing about random thoughts swirling in my head even as we knocked on the door. The only thing that made them stop was the door twisting open to reveal the face of Michelle while she tried to calm down her dog, Heaven. The dog was barking like crazy, jumping up and trying to lick everyone's faces.

"Kat!" The girl shouted when she realized her friend was standing in front of her. They pulled each other into a warm embrace, melting in each others' arms before pulling away, smiles smeared across their faces. I could feel a fire of jealousy burn in my stomach, but I ignored it and just smiled.

"So... How are you and Dante doing gurl?" Kat asked, walking in as Michelle invited everyone in. I studied the house, even though I had been there plenty of times before.

_Kitchen to the left, still looking shiny.. _Nij was right. From the entrance, you could see the sparkling kitchenware that Michelle probably cleaned with pride. The marble tiles were swept clean, the black and white checkered pattern giving the room an old feel.

Dining room to the right, nice and neat.. Jin added, and I swiveled my gave to stare at the said room. The wooden table sat in the middle, a small glass vase filled halfway holding a violet flower that I recognized as a lavender sat on it. There we two chairs placed across from each other, but in the corner there were others waiting to be sat on.

_And across the room, the main room and staircase._ They said together before falling silent in my mind. The main room was decorated with a black couch and two white seats off to the side. In front of the couch was a small TV, it's currently black screen staring back at me. In the middle of it all was a coffee table, another vase with a lavender sat on top of this one too. Off to the side was a wooden staircase.

And at first, I thought I just imagined her, but even Kat was surprised. "Who's that?" She asked, pointing to the girl sitting on the couch talking to Michelle's twin, Dante.

The girl wore a blue t-shirt with a diamond pickaxe printed on it. She wore blue jeans and socks, her, or what I presumed to be hers, red sneakers sat off to the side. Her long hair was black, making her strikingly dark blue eyes stand out on her tan face.

"Oh, that's Ashley. She said she was an adventurer, and we found her passed out at the side of the village a few hours ago. She woke up not long before you guys came." The twin said, and I took this moment to study her again. Her shirt was just purple and white horizontal stripes, paired with navy blue pants. Her hair too was black, and her dark brown eyes fit with her pale skin. At the right corner of her head, a yellow halo floated. "We found her next to a hole.

"Oh yeah, are you guys hungry? We have a large variety of potato dishes. Mashed, cooked, peeled, stew, scalloped, sweet, salad, fried, and chips. Just don't ask for a potato bug, or your not in luck." Michelle asks, and I remember her love for potatoes. The first time I said I didn't really like the root vegetable, she freaked out and tried to kill me. Not a fun memory.

"You're so... weird. But..." Kat started.

"THAT'S WHY WE'RE FRIENDS!" They shouted together, sending a ringing to my ears. I flinched, giving them a glare. The fluffy one, I believe his name was Jay-rome, also flinched, and so did Leia. They seemed to forget about the ones with enhanced hearing, even though Kat was one of us.

_One of us, one of us..._

"Shut up." I muttered under my breath. Everyone near me looked at me weirdly before turning back to the others. "Uh, should we talk about... stuff?" I offer, mentally cursing at my lack of a better word than 'stuff'. Everyone thinks, then nods. Calling Dante and Ashley over, Michelle leads us to the dining room and get the chairs for everyone. We sit down and get prepared to talk.

* * *

><p><strong>I WILL KILL BOTH OF YOU! GIVE THAT BACK NOW!<strong>

_How about... No._

**YOU- Oh. Hi. Uh, Michelle and Dante = Angel999FTW**

**Ashley = AwesomeKing13**

**Now, you must be thinking **"What about Nij and Jin?"

_Ha. I went first because I'm a sexy beast. Take that Jin._

I don't give a crap.

**Sorry about them. Anyways, those two are my... not exactly OCs. They aren't based off real people either. They're... uh...**

_We're spirits in her head that she had with her since she was... How old?_

Three.

_Right. So, you call us OCs, Maddy here gives us every right to rip your head off in the bloodiest fashion possible._

**... He's right. These two are important to me, so don't mess with them. Anyways, fun part, if you don't know what a potato bug is, Google it. I bet you won't. Tell me reaction if you do XD Anyways, this is done so late in the day because I feel a bit sick. I still am sick, but I wanted to get this up for you guys. And to be honest, I want to see your reaction to the things I post. You guys are the best :3 Love y'all. No homo.**

Why did your mind instantly turn to that when you put that in?

**I don't know. Ask my mind, not me. Even if it's only a fourth of my real brain... JERRICO, KAT, AND AJ, GIVE ME BACK THE PIECES OF MY BRAIN! SO WHAT IF I SOLD IT ON EBAY?! GIVE THEM UP! Ahm, I don't know if this classifies as a cliffhanger, but next chapter might have one :p DEAL WITH IT.**

**P.S. Angel, when I said I don't really like potatoes... I didn't lie. I'll eat them, but only if it's in small amounts. *whispers* Please don't kill me, I'll give you watermelone...**


	13. Discussions and Disappearances

*Kat's POV*

"So, I believe you know Sky and his generals, and of course, my sister, Moona." I introduce, gesturing to the people behind me. Michelle was obviously trying not to freak out, I mean these people were like her idols. I was impressed by her calm composure, especially since Dante was fidgeting in his seat right next to her.

"Of course I have! No one hundreds of miles from the city hasn't heard of him!" Michelle exclaims, clapping her hands together. Sky starts chuckling, embarrassed, and so does Ty.

My friend was joking about just having potato dishes, but a lot of them included potatoes. Everyone had tried some of her food, and said it tasted delicious, which it was. Some people were slowly eating, watching the conversation play out, while others already finished their food.

I stroke Michelle's cat, Cloud, who purrs and rubs against my hand. The conversation doesn't really interest me, since I already knew about Sky's mission. It slowly neared the end, the only thing continuing it was the question Dante asked, something that I probably should have questioned earlier.

"Why did you head this way then? From what I recall, the Squids' base is in the other direction completely." He said, leaning forward on the table. He stopped fidgeting, but the army leader started to instead. Most of the generals looked down at their shoes, something catching their attention.

"Because, as much as we don't want to admit it, we think that we need the help of certain _friends_ of ours." Sky muttered, staring at his hands as he moved them about in his lap. Michelle looked confused, thinking about something.

"But… the only people past this city are the Snow leopards, the Wolf pack, the Outcasts, and… You gotta be kidding me." She says, giving out a dry laugh. She searches their faces frantically before breaking into full laughter. "B-but you g-guys broke off connection with t-them a l-long time ago!" She howls.

"Uh, mind filling in the people who _don't_ know what you're talking about?" Moona says, one of her eyebrows raised slightly. I nod, wanting to understand the source of my friend's laughter. Dante doesn't even seem to know what his twin was dying from.

"Wait, you really don't remember?" Everyone that was waiting for her to continue gave her a blank stare, me included. "Ha! Well, about ten years ago, the Sky Army broke all connections with the Creatures, the only other hu- hybrid group that they could possible be seeking help from!"

Everyone turns to Sky, who is still looking at his shoes, and mumbles out a yes. This causes Michelle to fall out of her chair during her laughter, rolling on the floor while clutching her stomach. Everyone just laughs at her display, even Sky, who seems to want to ignore the whole "Creatures" thing.

"So, do you guys want to join us, or no?" Ty asks, taking a bite of his bread. Michelle thinks for a moment while Dante and Ashley seem to know their answers already.

"I can't. I'm an adventurer, and I don't like to stick with a group for too long. I could accompany to the Rushland Snows, but then I need to go my own way. Sorry." Ashley said, leaning her chair back so that it only stood on two wooden pegs that were called its feet.

"I'll go if my sister wants to go. If not, I'll stay here with her." Dante says once Ashley finishes, waiting for his sister's answer. The latter smiles, then nods.

Ty nodded. "Well, thank you. We're glad to have you to help us, no matter how short your time with us is." He gives the three a smile, then stands up. "I believe we should be going now. We don't have time to lose." Everyone gets up, and I help my friend in the kitchen.

"So, when are you gonna tell them that you and Dante are sorcerers?" I ask her while cleaning the dishes everyone ate on. I keep my eyes glued to the slippery piece of ceramic, but I can see from the corner of my eye, that her expression turns rock hard.

"I don't know. How do I know that they'll accept me if they find out?" Michelle asks, setting down the plate she just dried to look at me. I can see the fear in her eyes. I stop washing the current dish and turn to face her, setting the plate on the counter next to the sink.

"Trust me. They seem like very understanding people. If they weren't, then me and Moon would probably still be at the clan." I explain, staring her right in the eyes. The fear doesn't leave.

"Yeah, but you're _hybrids_! They already have three in their group! Maybe they know more!" She exclaims, almost shouting. It's wonders that the others haven't come to check on us with her volume. I place a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Well, then start by telling them that you can fly. See how they react, then you can decide whether or not you want to tell them." I say, and she calms down. Relieve replaces the fear in her eyes, and her muscles relax. Michelle closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before smiling.

"Thanks Kat." She says before picking up the dish towel and continuing to dry the dishes. I chuckle to myself and start washing the dishes again, letting the chilly water fall over my hands.

*Husky's POV*

"Hey, I'm gonna go get us some supplies for the trip. I'll be back in a few!" I call out as I close the door. I could hear everyone's muffled shouts telling me to have fun. Dante give me some directions to find the small shops that they had outside.

I quickly find them and look for some fruits that will last long. I see a fruit stand and walk over. It was the last stall in its row, and the looks were like what you'd expect from a stall. The overhang was stripped a light blue and white, with two metal poles supporting it from underneath. It was quite small, but they had plenty of fruits. They even had baskets for you to buy if you had nothing to hold your items.

"Welcome!" Two young girls, around the age of ten, called to me from behind the stall. I give them a kind smile and start browsing the fruits, picking some up and placing them in a basket that was provided just for shopping. "We'll be in the back if you need us! Just ring the bell." One girl says, her pigtails bouncing as she moved to enter the back of the shop.

I finish gathering all of my items and walk up to the counter, placing down the heavy basket with a clunk. Just as I'm about to ring the bell, something moves from the corner of my vision and I turn to investigate. I narrow my eyes before turning back, shrugging it off as another customer. Something slams into the back of my head and I fall to the ground, my vision swarming. Just before I close my eyes, I see a dark figure smile.

*Leia's POV*

"Hey, how long has Husky been gone? Hasn't it been too long?" I ask, glancing towards the door. I knew how long he has been gone; thirty minutes. I was starting to get worried for the mudkip. Surely, it wasn't that far to the market?

"I don't know. Maybe we should look for him?" Ray says, already getting up. She hesitates when no one follows her, but I start pushing myself out of the comfy chair I had plopped into. I could always just look for Husky later… No! I shake my head to rid it of anymore of those thoughts.

Everyone else gets up reluctantly, and we split into groups. Kat, Ty, Michelle, and Dante are one, and AJ, Ian, Sky, and Moona are another. My group consisted of Jason, Bodil, and Double. Mitch and Jerome made up one group, the two by themselves.

I stepped outside, our group last, and instantly was knocked backwards. A small "Ohp!" told me that I had run into someone.

*Roose's POV*

I glared at the figure across from me. Derpollolus only smirked at my anger. "So, will you answer our questions this time, or will you deny everything?" He asks. The only noise I make is a low growl, making the squid king chuckle.

"Perhaps you should? I heard that your precious Sky is coming to find you with that ragtag group of people." I stayed silent. "Or we could just lock you in your room and let you slowly starve to death until you tell us what we want to know." I place an elbow on the table and place my head in my palm.

"Perhaps you should listen." A smooth voice says from behind me. I turn around and gasp because of who it is.

**So, I hope this isn't bad. I did most of it today. I really only had two days to write this chapter. Monday, I had a party. Tuesday I was free, Wednesday I went to a friend's house. Thursday, I went to that's friend's dance recital before they came over for a sleepover at my house, and Friday I was busy with other multiple things. So again, I'm sorry if this is bad. Anyways- wait, that's strange. Where are Jin and Nij?**

_Surprise motherf**ker! ... You censored me._

**Of course I did. I told you not to swear in my author's notes.**

_Screw you._

Can you two just get on with the point?

**Wow. Pushy Jin is pushy.**

Shut the hell up.

_Wait, you censor me, but not him?!_

**Hell and damn aren't that big.**

_So I can say hell and damn all I want here?_

**... Maybe.**

_Hell yeah!_

The point is that-

**I have three questions for you guys. The first one is: Why do you think I titled this story Betrayal?**

_The second is: What do you think happened to Husky?_

And the last one: Who do you think was behind Roose?

**I wanna know what you guys think. I can't wait to see... Huehuehue...**

Stop being a creep.

_Says the creep._

**Says the creep about the creep. HA! INCEPTION!**

_..._ Really?

**Yes really. Also, not that many of you searched potato bugs last time... Sad Sand is sad.**

_**Anyways, I'll see you later my clanmates! KK, so, BYE!**_


	14. Searching

*Michelle's POV*

I walked next to Ty, searching for Husky. Our group decided to split into groups of two, that way we could cover more ground. I let Dante go with Kat so that way he wouldn't be a bit awkward, but I apparently wasn't doing any better than him. Every time Ty glanced at me, he would quickly look the opposite way.

So we walked on in silence, just looking around the town. I wanted to say something, but my tongue would twist every time I opened my mouth. I didn't know what was happening to me. I usually was able to talk to anyone with ease, always quick to make small talk.. I moved my hands from behind my back and swung them forward, accidentally brushing his fingers.

"S-so, how are you feeling today?" Ty started, attempting a conversation. He was fiddling with a lock of his brown hair, his russet eyes focused everywhere but my eyes.

"I-it's been good so far. It would be cool if we could find Husky. I mean, t-that would m-make my day a lot better!" I stutter, cursing myself for doing so. I didn't want to seem like I didn't want to talk to Ty, it was quite the opposite. The boy was kind, nice, cute- What!? Calm down hormones, take a break.

"T-then I guess we should get search." Ty replied, his voice soft and quiet. We resumed searching, never looking in the direction of each other. I could feel heat in my cheeks, and I didn't want the general to see my pink face.

"Guys! Ty! Michelle!" I turn my head to see Mitch on top of a building, bow in hand. Jerome pops up behind him, Betty strapped to his back. "Have you found anything yet?"

"No, we haven't. Dante is the only one that told him which market to go to." I explained, mental cursing my brother, then myself for not asking him where he sent Husky. Mitch was about to respond, but a light off to the side interrupted him.

Someone had sent up a flare.

*Leia's POV*

I fell back onto Jason, who was behind me. He fell onto the step, and I ended up sitting on his egs. Double and Bodil looked on, snickering to themselves. I glared at them, then quickly got up and apologized. Jason chuckled to himself as he pushed himself off the ground and rubbed the back of his neck. I ignored the pink dusting both of our cheeks.

I turn around to be faced with whom I'm presuming I knocked over. She had already stood up, her sneakers twitching every time she moved her foot. She straightened her pale pink collared buttoned shirt, fluffing it off of the gray shirt underneath.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." A soft Italian voice said, apparently coming from the girl. "My name is Marzia." She brushed her maple brown hair away from her chestnut brown eyes.

I opened my mouth to introduce everyone, but a flare interrupted me.

**Okay, this is short, and it's a piece of poo. I know that. Especially since I finished all of this today. I was rushed, okay? Though, I did like the Tangel moment in the beginning. Tangel is the ship name I made ^-^ Angel, if you have any concerns with that name, tell me. If you have a better one, tell me.**

_Don't forget the news flash._

**Oh right. I have a new collab with kfcrowe. So now I have two collabs, three stories, and a bunch of other things for the future... Just kill me now.**

And...? What about Marzia?

**Oh right. Marzia is from CloudGamer_, who was the only one to submit a 'evil' character. Anyways, I'm tired, and lazy, so yeah. I'll see you later my clanmates!**

_**KK, so, BYE!**_


	15. Important

_Dear Reader,_

_This is your author speaking to you. Now, you can tell that this isn't a chapter for two reason. One, the title, and two, the day this is being updated. I am going with a friend to her family's cottage, and won't be taking my laptop. I will be updating the story on Tuesday, since, like the procrastinator I am, didn't work on the next chapter at all. I have to go now, so goodbye, and I'll see you on Tuesday!_

_~Sandstormmaddy_


	16. The First Move

**PUT AWAY THE DAMN PITCHFORKS AND TORCHES! PLEASE! IF YOU KILL ME, THE STORY WON'T GO ON!**

_Fine. But can I just poke you in the arm with the pitchfork real quick?_

**No. I just got shots. One on both of my arms.**

_Legs?_

**No. Anyways, I'm sorry that this was updated later than usual! First off, I went to my friend's cottage, then I miss the promised date on which I would update. I am a horrible person. And it doesn't help that this is super short. Uh... I was busy today, and yesterday, my mom took away my laptop for no reason. T.T Either way, I wouldn't have been able to update since I spent about...**

Four hours.

**Four hours out of the house. Today, I have something I told a friend I would do, and I worked on that instead of this. Procrastination FTW! The other remainder I spent watching videos. Three hours were dedicated to sleeping. Whee for little sleep. Gods damn insomnia. Then again, I only need five hours of sleep anyways... Ugh. Back to the story. I told you last time that Angel X Ty was called Tangel, but Angel came up with Anglox. #ANGLOX! Make it trend people! Uh... I'll see you at the end.**

*Sky's POV*

It took the others a while to get to our area, but it was slightly understandable. We were spread out pretty evenly throughout the town, and we found this place really fast, thanks to Moona's sense of smell. She claimed that it was only because we came after Husky before a long time passed.

The first ones that joined us were Kat and Dante, who made it seem that they were heading towards this area since they arrived a few seconds after we set off the flare. Mitch and Jerome showed up second, jumping from rooftop to rooftop like monkeys. Michelle and Ty were right behind them, and last came Jason's group, with someone that I didn't recognize. I glance suspiciously at the girl before turning to Ian.

"Who's that?" I ask, whispering just in case she overheard us. The orange ears coming from her head twitched, and I wondered if she could hear us, but she didn't say anything. She only turned away.

"She said that her name was Marzia. Leia bumped into her when she was exciting the house, and she just followed us when we ran over here. I think it's pretty obvious that she's a fox hybrid. Those two things are all we know." Ian reported, whispering back. Marzia had turned to talk to Leia, probably asking her what was going on.

"Well, a friend of ours is missing. We were hoping to find him." I could hear her explain as I walked towards the two to introduce myself. No harm there, right? "His name is- Oh, hey Sky!"

I nod at the apprentice, giving her a small smile before extending my hand for Marzia to shake. She hesitates before taking it. "I'm Sky, or Adam, leader-"

"Of the Sky Army. I know. It's a honor to meet you." The brunette finished, surprising me. I stared at her for a few moments before snapping out of the trance I was in.

"Y-yeah. I'm guessing you've heard of the Army before then?" I guess, already knowing the answer. She nods her head and gives me a bright smile. Before she can speak, Ray calls me over. I quickly jog over to the group that is gathered around the spot where Ray is, hearing footsteps behind me.

"So?" I ask Ray, surprising her a bit. She moved out of the way, letting me see what everyone was looking at.

"We found these tracks here. The shopkeepers let us see inside the shop, and the tracks come from inside too. We're guessing the Squids knocked him out, then dragged him to the lake that's over there." She explains, pointing to the quaint shop that was next to us.

The tracks were dark, and you could tell where they were since they were just darker stone. When I pushed my fingers onto the cold ground, the stone felt wet, and there was a strange moisture that clung to my fingers. With a sniff, it was obvious that it was fresh water. The scent of Squids lingered in the smell.

"You're right. You can smell the squid in the scent." I answer, getting up from my crouching position. The others give me a crazy look, and I give it to them right back. "What? A good army leader knows the scent of his enemy. Just smell it." Kat reluctantly dabs her finger in the trail and sniffs it, recoiling when the smell hit her nose.

"That's nasty!" She yelled, shaking her hand to try and get rid of the water. Everyone either laughed or chuckled, the sight lifting the dark cloud that had been draped over the group. Watch out Squids, we're coming to stop you.

**Damn epicness. Who thought that the chapter name meant a first move as in a confession? No one? Eh. But, what ship to you think will be the first one to set sail? Hm? Anyways, leave me to my fan-fictions now. I'll see you later my clanmates!**

_**KK, so, BYE!**_


	17. Trying to Understand

*Michelle's POV*

We had decided to go and check out the lake for any secret squid bases. Even though it was Sky's idea, he was the only one that was hesitant in going into the water. Jason ended up being forced to push him in, causing the leader to curse at his general. The man was still mutter (what I guessed were) curses under his breath.

To my surprise, Moona wasn't hesitant to get in the water, despite her not being able to swim well. She was one of the first few to wade in, grumbling something under her breath. Turns out she doesn't like getting wet, but that wasn't that big of a surprise.

We tried to hurry, but the lake was giant, and thick layers of seaweed coated the bottom, making us trip occasionally or just tangled around our legs. There was a splash next to me, and I turned to see Moona rise from the water, her eye and ears twitching. I held back a laugh.

When we were done, it was halfway through noon, drenched in water, and angry. We had ended up wasting our time, and we needed new clothes. Kat was struggling in getting her sister to agree with new clothes.

"C'mon! It can't be that bad to wear other clothes. I wear them, and so does everyone else." Kat persuaded, but Moona just crossed her arms and turned away. "Stop acting like a child!"

"I'm not acting like a child! These clothes are traditional clan clothes! Every hybrid in one of the clans wears clothes like this!" Moona said back, giving her sister the best glare that she could muster, which she was always good with glaring. I stopped listening to their argument, going to stand next to my brother.

Dante was fiddling with his cerulean blue pendant when I walked over, his clothes already almost dry. He was just watching Sky and the others talk about things, his backpack sitting on the ground next to him. He looked toward me as the grass crinkling underneath my shoes.

"So, me and Kat were talking in the kitchen." I started, turning to watch what he was watching. My eyes were slowly being drawn towards the headphone-wearer, and I couldn't pull my gaze away. I didn't know why. "We were talking about when we should tell the others about our powers." I continued. My twin gave me a look like I was crazy.

"Why should we tell them? We're probably only going to stay with them for this adventure." Dante replied. He leaned over and picked up his backpack, slinging it over one shoulder.

"Well, it seems like the trip is going to be a long one. Do you really think we can hide our powers for that long?" I shot back. He turned to look at me, a sprinkle of worry dancing in his eyes. "But if you're that uncomfortable with it, then we could just test it out with telling them that we can fly, if you want."

He didn't reply, but, before he turned away, I couldn't see the worry in his eyes anymore. I turned back to the two bickering sisters, only to find Moona in one of Bodil's suits. Kat was literally rolling on the ground from laughter, clutching her stomach. I walked over to a laughing Bodil for an explanation. "What exactly is happening?"

"Well, I offered Moona a suit and she changed over there," He pointed over to a bunch of bushes that had a familiar yellow dress next to them. "and the rest is self explanatory."

"Well, I would suggest she kept it on, since we're going into the Rushland Snows." I turned around to face Ty, and I could feel my face heat up a tiny bit. Notch damn hormones.

"Wait, we're entering the Rushland Snows?" Moona asked, to which Ty nodded. The clan leader turned her head away, clenching her teeth together. "Fox dung. I was hoping we could just go around."

*Roose's POV*

The door to my cell opened, and I got up to be taken to my questioning, but instead a figure was thrown in and the steel door was slammed shut again. I moved over to the figure, which groaned and tried to get up, but they couldn't because of the ropes bounding their blue hands together. Wait, blue hands…?

"Husky!" I shout whispered. I undid the ropes tying his hands together and pulled him into a sitting position. The mentor rubbed his eyes.

"Roose…?" He asked groggily. I nodded, waving a hand in front of his face. "Where are we?"

"Main Squid base. I have no idea how to get out of this cell." I answered, just like I was trained to. Husky slowly started to get up, and so did I. I helped pull him up.

"Squid base? Then why did I see-" The door opening interrupted his question, and a squid guard motioned for me to follow him. Before I stepped out of the door he slapped handcuffs on me and slammed the door close behind me. He pushed me forward with the metal stick he had, guiding me towards the questioning room.

**Hehehehehe. Moona in a suit was too funny to not add. The image in my head is so funny. Also, #ANGLOX! Make it trend people. Do fan-art. I don't know, but do it. If you don't I will. And post it on my dA. I don't have much to say. I'll see my clanmates later! KK, so, BYE!**

**... I just realized that Nij and Jin haven't joined me in forever.**


	18. Welcom to the Rushland Snows

*Ty's POV*

"So group, the plan is that we're going through the Rushlands Snows. It doesn't seem that it'll take too long to get there." Jason explained, tracing the path on the map with his finger. Everyone either looked over his shoulder, next to him, stood around him, or were looking at their own map. They were walking through the town, slowly because everyone was crowded around the astronaut.

"I know a tunnel that goes through a hill around... There. If we take that instead of going around, it'll cut two hours off travel time," Kat replied, tracing a finger -which she extended a claw on- along the map.

"I don't think we should go in the forest. It's cold, and none of you guys are wearing proper clothes. Plus, it's very dangerous in there." Moona grumbled. Michelle turned to her, getting off Jason's shoulder to stare at her.

"Don't fret Moon, they'll survive that if they can survive your attitude. Now if you care, you should probably mark that area there off as dangerous because..." I stopped listening to Kat talking to Jason, but Moona looked frustrated. She huffed and crossed her arms sourly.

"Why are you so worried anyways?" I asked the hybrid, walking over to her. She only huffed and gave me a glance that told me she would rather be alone, but curiosity got the better of me. But people always say that curiosity killed the cat. "If it's such a worrying case, just tell us."

"It's personal," Moona growled. I sighed and returned to my walking spot next to Adam and Ian, who were talking about sunglasses or something.

"Well, the best brand it- Hey Ty! You know, you should get some would look nice with them." Adam said, turning slightly to be able to look at both of them. Ian looked me up and down before nodding in agreement.

"Hey Ty! Wouldn't you agree that if all of Team Crafted got sunglasses, we would look twenty percent cooler? Huh?" Ian asked in his derp voice, making my lips twitch up.

"I guess. But, that would mean that Jason would have to live without his helmet. You know how he hates people looking at his face…" I looked towards Jasone as I said that, who was talking to Kat and Moona about something. Probably about maps, and the place we were going. His fingers tapped against his suit, and I realized that he couldn't wear his helmet since he hadn't brought it.

"Hey, do you wonder what they'll do when we get there? What if Jordan just kicks us out before we even get to talk?" Husky asked, walking up to them.

"He could be mad enough to do so… But maybe we could talk to Sly. He was always more understandable than Jordan; by a far shot." Adam replied, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. I couldn't remembered much about Jordan and the others, but their leader's personality was burned into my mind.

"Jordan's entire mind was an enigma," I said vaguely, before smiling. "Yeah, he might be even more of a derp than you, Ian."

"Hey! Don't doubt my ability to be a derp. Anyways, wasn't he usually thinking about cats? He really was crazy about them… Maybe he's finally dating one." Ian replied.

"Naw, he had that girlfriend, Monica, right? Anywhoozle, we should pick up the pace to make good time," Adam remarked.

"Right. I think everyone's ready, correct?" I called out, and everyone called out a yes, even Moona, who mumbled it under her breath. We were already at the edge of town when I asked, and Rushland Snows could be seen on the horizon.

We picked up the pace and rested at an efficient traveling speed, making sure that everyone was keeping up. Moona still seemed sour, so Kat stood next to her so that she wouldn't snap at anyone.

The person second closest to her was Bodil, who was attempting to ask her a question, but each time, she would glare at him and he would go back to talking with Double. I somehow ended up next to Michelle, who was walking next to her twin, Dante.

"Well, I'm not sure that there are too many spuds in the Rushlands, but I suppose I'll survive," the black haired girl sighed, shrugging casually.

"There might be some, but not a lot. Either way, I made sure to pack a few. Just so you won't die on me sis." Dante said, patting the pack on his back before slinging an arm over her shoulder. He flashed her a smile, which she returned.

"So, how did you meet Kat?" I asked curiously. Michelle turned towards me and her cheeks flared up. Maybe she was eating something before I showed up…

"W-well, uh, I wandered into t-their jungle one day when the town needed some supplies… I ran into Kat, and… Yeah." Dante had chuckled and walked ahead when she started explaining, leaving just the two of us in the back of the group.

"Ohh. So, are you any good at fighting? Wizard? Elementalist? Martial artist? Hybrid?" I guessed randomly. "I mean, if you don't want to tell me, it's fine, but as you can see-" I gestured to Mitch, Ian, Husky, Jerome, Leia, AJ, Ray, and Sky, "-we have a few of all of those."

"Uh…" She hesitated, as if considering her answer. "I-I'm good at fighting, and I u-use my sword most of the time. My bow n' arrow is for l-long range." She said, seeming happy that she had finally figured an answer out.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "You're lying," I said bluntly. "I don't know what you're lying about, but that's not all." Michelle sent me a sideways glance filled with so much fear, I flinched. "But, whatever. It doesn't matter, you're with us now."

Her shoulders relaxed, but she kept sending me glanced that told me she was still worried. I glanced at my shoes as I walked, scared to make eye contact with her.

"Well, I can use my headphones as speakers to play music that controls people's actions. Also, I can hear really well, so I wear my headphones constantly so that the sound doesn't bother me," I admitted, tapping the side of my headphones.

She looks up abruptly, startled by me telling her. She looks down guiltily, before sighing. "Okay. I don't just use my sword and bow. I can fly too." She confesses, whispering the last part, like she was scared.

"That's really special. Just like you," I responded without thinking. When I realized what I'd said, I turned my head the other way so she wouldn't see the heat rise to my face. Dammit. "I'm, uh, gonna, go and, talkwithJasonbye!" I rushed out then jogged over to Jason with scarlet cheeks.

"Yo dude, why are your cheeks so red? I mean, it is suddenly colder but…" Jason trailed off, pointing to the forest that we were nearing. The trees were covered in snow, and so was the landscape, so much that you could barely see the dark green pines underneath the pure white snow. It seemed to blend into the grass, slowly switching from emerald green to blinding white. The snow looked untouched, having just freshly snowed. Looking around, I realized that almost everyone was rubbing their arms to try and stay warm.

I was starting to feel really cold though, despite my flaring cheeks. I guess growing up in a hot place made me weak to cold. Meanwhile, the humans were huddling together in groups as they walked through the tundra with pine trees. However, Moona didn't seem bothered by it, while Kat snuggled deeper into her jacket.

"How the hell aren't you cold Moon?" Kat asked, tugging on her hood to protect her ears. Moona didn't answer and just walked into the snow, which was already covering her feet, and we were just at the edge.

"Moon." Still no response. "Moon," this time more agitated. "MOONA HENA!" Everyone stopped moving and stared at the agitated Bengal cat hybrid. "I'm not taking another step until you tell me what's going on!"

"BE QUIET, IMBECILE." Moons said, turning around. Her eyes were blazing white, and her fists were clenched so hard that they were pale. Her hair started to raise, just like the fur on a cat. Everyone moved back from her, but Kat was struck dumb.

.

**.**

**.**

**I'm kidding. That's not part of the story. Continue.**

Moona stopped in her tracks, her fists clenched. "So, you really don't remember them?" She sighed. "I guess it can't be helped. The last time you saw them was when we were really young…"

With that, Moona continued walking, and Kat stood there dumbfounded. "Them?" She echoed mechanically.

"Us!" Two voices said, coming from the trees. I looked around, startled. "Why dear cousin, how could you forget?" The voices were perfectly in sync. It seemed as if they had practiced.

"I was wondering when you'd show up," Moona replied, her eyes closed and hands on her hips.

**Guys. Guys! GUYS! HOLY SHEET I FINALLY HAVE A LONG UPDATE THAT'S ON TIME! FREAK OUT! No seriously though, I did it. Another shout out to kfcrowe because she rp-ed this with me, and it was really fun. And fast. AND IT'S FINALLY LONG! Sorry, I can't get over that fact. But I've been shout outing her too much. Then again, she is really awesome... *whispers* Check her out... I... Uh, what else is there to say... I don't know. I'll see you later my clanmates! KK, so, BYE!**


	19. The Two Snow Twins

*Kat's POV*

"Oh ho ho! Someone remembers us, Snowtune!" One voice says, coming from the tree to the right of me. "The two Snow twins of Snowclan!"

"I knew it. I knew they would be here," Moona said, pointing an accusing finger at me. "I told you."

"Oh Snowthorn, look! D-RA-MA!" Another voice says, causing a giggle to come from the right left tree.. I glance in the voice's direction before pointing a glare at my sister.

"You mean... oh god, it's THEM," I hissed, batting Moon's hand away from me. "I thought you loved them soooo much, that you wanted to live here."

"Oh shut up. You didn't even remember them!" She glares at me, but two giggles interrupt our argument. I can feel my eye twitch, and across from me, Moon's eye twitched too.

"Oh look. Cousin Moonpaw and the runt are fighting. How cute," the two voices said in perfect unison. "Would you care to introduce us to your companions?"

"Oh you did NOT!" I yell at one of the trees. "You did NOT just call ME a RUNT!" I crack my knuckles, and my hood falls off my head when I point a finger at one of the trees. I don't even care about the cold, because I am so pissed off to the point that it's heating my body.

"Oh, but we did, rouge," the voices responded. I couldn't see exactly where they were, but I could hear them quite easily. From what I could tell, they were on both sides of us, blending into the snow with their white hair and dresses.

"I am SO gonna punch your faces in! I will have your heads on sticks!" I threaten, but it only makes them giggle.

"Would someone mind explaining?" Adam asked, stepping next to us with a confused face. I sighed and motioned to the general position of the two girls.

"We have two… _cousins_, who are currently here. They go by the names of Snowthorn and Snowtune, and are residents to the Snowclan, who live in this forest." Moona explains. "They blend in with the dresses they wear, which is like mine, but white with black spots, and their hair is white."

"So if you look really closely," I started, then squinted in search, then I spotted to patches of snow with slightly larger black dots. "They're right there," I finished, pointing to the two twin sisters.

"Aw, our jig is up Snowtune! I guess we should just show our faces, huh?" Snowthorn asks her sister. They both jump down in a blur of white, before landing on top of the snow, not making any indents.

Snowtune, the twin with hair split to the left, trotted up to me and stared blankly at me before pushing me. I fell back and landed in the snow, just about ready to murder them. "Yep, the runt's still a runt," Snowtune called back to her sister.

I saw Snowthorn and Moon circling each other, before Snowthorn leaped and tackled Moon to the ground. She sat on my sister and pushed her hair to the right. "And this one is still a 'paw!"

I growled deeply as Snowtune stood on my stomach. "Get off us or I promise, I will slaughter your entire clan," I growled seriously, to which they laughed.

"You can't kill Snowclan in the snow! We thrive off the cold, and our power thrives in it. Either way, Icestar would have your head, dear cousin!" She leaned down, way too close to my face. I hiss at her right before she leans back and laughs.

I tilted my head back to see Team Crafted and Crafting, as well as Michelle and Dante, staring at the four of us in confusion. 'Help me,' I mouthed pleadingly as Snowtune subtly kicked my stomach.

Mitch and Jerome run forward, weapons drawn. It surprises Snowtune, and she jumps off me, running towards where our two sisters were currently fighting. At Snowtune's shout, the two look over and Snowthorn moves to comfort her sister.

"Thank you very much, but I don't care to be called a runt ever again," I growled, standing up at the same time as Moona.

"I don't think anyone does." Mitch replied. "Unless your name is Runt, which would be a sad life.

"No, her name is worse," Snowthorn said, walking away from Moona to stand in front of me. She raised one claw and put it under my chin, pulling it up so I looked her in the eye. "Isn't that right, Scar?"

"I will murder your family." I hissed at her. She chuckled and released me, and I pushed her away. She moved back over to her sister.

"Doesn't matter, Scar. Don't you think killing one leopard from Snowclan was enough? I don't see how an outcast and a runt would be capable of taking on a Snowclan. But no, you just had to go and kill an innocent little kit just beca-" Snowtune picked up, but was interrupted.

"Don't you dare talk about my sister like that, you imbecile." Moona picked up Snowtune from the collar of her dress. Her eyes were ablaze, and her knuckles were white. "If you value your life, I suggest you two leave here right now, and make sure that no leopard from Snowclan interrupts us ever again." Surprisingly, Snowtune's joking face was replaced with a scared look.

Snowthorn slid behind Moona and put her in a headlock just long enough for Snowtune to get away. They ran next to each other and grabbed each other's hand. "I hate to leave so soon, but we've got to go! Toodaloo!" Snowthorn said before they ran off, disappearing from sight into the snow.

Me and Moona walked back over to the others, who seemed very scared off a still angry Moona. She cracked her fingers in an attempt to calm down. "Would someone explain what just happened…?" Double asked.

"Those, were our -quote on quote- 'cousins'. Our cat dna was related to theirs, so we're technically related to them. Kat only met them once or twice, but I was friends with them much longer. But then I became a deputy, and couldn't travel this far that often. So, I cut ties with them," Moona explained in a growl. I could literally feel her longing to rip their throats out.

"So, what was that whole scene that we just watched?" Jerome asked, his arms crossed.

"They like to prove they're better than us. I was play fighting with them, but... Kat, er... Kat when she was younger was a runt, so ah, they picked on her. A lot. So to prove her strength, she used a loophole in the warrior code and killed an apprentice. SO they made her a rouge, gave her a nasty scar on her lower back, and renamed her Scarlet. Ever since, we've been living in the rainforest, and haven't seen them in years," Moona continued, apparently calmed down. I stayed silent, unconsciously tracing the three clawed scar on my back with my tail.

"So, is this the reason why you didn't want us to enter here?" Jason asked. "Even if it was the fastest way to get to our destination?"

"Yeah. We should go, they'll probably try to screw with us more, and I don't want to have to deal with traps." my sister replied.

"Okay, then let's get going." I say. "They may have already set up a bunch of-" Moona interrupted me.

"No, I'll go first. I practically lived here for a time, so I know how to see that stuff. Follow my tracks and scent after ten minutes. If they mess with my tracks, Kat can tell where I am," My sister said. I hesitated, but nodded and watched as she bounded off through the forest.

We stood in silence, not wanting to sit on the snowy ground for a whole ten minutes. But after only five, I started to get bored. The minutes ticked down in my head, slowly and annoyingly. I drummed my fingers on my arm, wishing I had a scarf on, since the cold bit at my skin and clawed at my face.

"I think we should get going." Mitch said, breaking the silence. We stared at him in confusion, wondering why he said that when Moona had told us specifically to wait. "After all, I think we'd all die of frostbite is we don't move at all."

"Then, perhaps we should go?" Double asked, pushing himself away from the tree he was leaning against. Slowly, everyone started to nod, and we walked over to my sister's tracks. Unfortunately for us, we abandoned the fact that it was snowing, and we could only faintly see them now.

"We're gonna have to hurry if we want to find her." Bodil said, already running next to the tracks. The rest of us hurried to catch up, having to run in a straight line so we wouldn't step on the track.

After a minute or so of running, we eventually came to a clearing where the three hybrids were circling each other. My two cousins were giggling to themselves, while Moona was glaring at them both. All three of them were on all fours, just like actual cats. When our group came into view, they were shocked.

Smiling to themselves, the twins jumped into the trees behind them. Scowling, Moona walked over to us. "I thought I told you to wait." She grumbles, crossing her arms to show that she was angry.

"Well, sorry we were concerned for your well being." Leia mumbles, but it only makes my sister's scowl deepen.

"Yeah, we thought you could use our help-" Mitch starts, but is cut off.

"I didn't and don't need your help. You're only getting in the way." Moon turns away, her tail snapping back and forth. "You'll only put yourselves in danger." I sigh. Moon was always acting tough.

"Well well well, I think little Moonpaw has a point there! Maybe you should have listened to her!" Snowtune appeared behind Mitch, holding something shiny against his throat. It wasn't a knife or sword, since the metal wasn't silver, but blue.

It was a midnight blue, and crisscrossed with floral patterns. It was small enough to fit across my open hand, and instead of a hilt, it had a lever to open it. The very end was sharpened so that it could be used as a weapon if needed, and that end was pressed against Mitch's throat so that if we moved to help him, he would end up falling to the ground, struggling for one last breath.

"Give it back. Now." Moona growls to Snowtune, who giggles. My sister tenses, and she moves to walk over to the twin and snatch the thing out of her hand before clawing at her face, but Snowthorn stops her with a serious expression.

"Tisk tisk tisk, don't you know? If your dare to move, your "friend" will end up lying in a pool of his blood!" She warned happily, but a weight fell onto our shoulders. Snowthorn was directly talking to Moon, but the warning was for all of us. "Or, I guess I should say "friends"... Oh well!"

Before we could register what was happening, leopards jumped out of the trees and circled one of us. I drew my sword before it could tear into my throat, and the weapon got trapped between it's massive teeth. I struggled to pull it out of the jaws of my attacker, before realizing that I could try and fling them to the side. Struggled as I did, the leopard tossed my weapon to the side and pinned me down, a claw on my stomach.

"So, what will it be, dear cousin? Will you choose these strangers that you call friends, or will you let them die, just for your precious mother's last gift?" Snowtune asked with a crazy look in her sapphire eyes, and my eyes widened in realization as my sister hesitated with her answer.

Our mother had given us her hairpin right before she died when trying to stop us from being taken, and it was the last thing we had from our parents in general. She trusted us with her life that we would keep it safe, and we kept that promise, from when we were tested on, to when we ran away from the lab.

Moona stayed silent, her head down. "Hm? Cousin? Do your so called friends not matter to you? Would you much rather us take your mother's gift and let everyone live, or would you rather take it, and everyone else die?" Snowthorn asked again. When my sister still didn't answer, she walked over and prodded her cheek, jumping back when her head was lifted.

"Fine." Moona replied. "Take the gift."

Snowthorn smiled. "Very well. Snowtune, company, let's go back to the clan, and report back to the Squids. I'm sure Derpollolus will be very pleased with our find." Snowthorn dashed off into the trees over to our right, soon being followed by the others. Everyone stood up, shock evident on their faces. Not only was that on the army leader's face, but it was mixed with anger.

"They work with the Squids? But… how?" Sky asks, holding his head in confusion. The others let out a chorus of agreement, and I joined in. From what I remembered of Snowclan, I certainly didn't remember them being allies with the Squids.

"They indeed do. Snow is frozen water, and there is even a lake that somehow isn't frozen over. Either way, we should be near the border of their territory, and closer to a friendlier group. Let's go." Moona said, turning to the left. We followed her, trying to make sense of it all. Eventually, a voice stopped us.

"Moona? Is that you?"

**I'm late. I'm. Gods. Damn. Late. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-**

**Okay, I'm good. Anyways, What do you expect from me? **

_**But I'm only human! And I bleed when I fall down. I'm only human! And I crash and I break down!**_

**Hey, look who's back!**

_Y'all better be happy I'm here. I could be taking a nice bath right now._

And I could be at a party. Rachel was throwing one.

**Oh really? Well, too bad. You get to be here instead. Congrats.**

_I totally feel special._

She had Hawaiian punch...

**Suck it up. Anyways, I had to finish this myself, since I wanted to. The other parts are done with kfcrowe, which I don't think I need to say more. I need to work on some other things, since I want to get them done. A few aren't even posted. Sometimes, I hate how my brain gives me ideas... *sighs* Oh, woe is me.**

_Hell no. Woe is me, since I have to deal with all the gods damn thoughts every single second. It's annoying to have words poke your back when taking a nice bath._

Do you only ever bathe? Seriously.

_No, sometimes I troll the others. Jake's house exploding, that was me._

**Okay, this isn't story time or whatever. This is my author's note. And Nij, why would you blow up his house?**

_He ate my cake, and drank all my chocolate milk._

**You aren't Erza, or Woofless. Jake isn't Nooch either. Anyways, I have to deal with these two hooligans, so I'll see my clanmates later! KK, so BYE!**


	20. The Wolf Pack

**Edit: Realized I forgot Ashley at the introductions part. Sorry :P**

*Ray's POV*

Leaping out of a tree and spraying us with white snow came a girl. Her hair was flung in front of her face for a moment, before she pushed the strawberry blonde locks out of her face. She landed not so gracefully, but managed to keep her face out of the snow. Moona, who apparently knew the girl, was facing away from us, so we couldn't see her face.

With a smiling face, she leaped onto Moona, who seemed prepare for the "attack", and squeezed the clan leader with her slightly pale arms. The one being hugged hesitated before pushing the strange girl off.

"So it really is you Mad!" The girl said as Moona crossed her arms. I thought about the strange nickname. The clan leader's name had nothing to do with it, and there wasn't a D in her name… My mind threw possibilities at me, and I quickly sorted them from most likely to least likely in a matter of seconds. The most likely was that it was just a strange nickname that the girl had thought of.

"Izzy, I told you not to call me that anymore." Moona said, giving 'Izzy' a bored look. The girl, Izzy, laughed, placing an arm around the jaguar hybrid's shoulders, turning her to face us. "Guys, this is Izzy- Izzy, this is the team that I'm traveling with."

"Hey, I'm Double." He said before Sky could, giving the angry army leader a smirk. "These are my friends Sky, Ty, Jason, Mitch, Jerome, Ian, Bodil, and-" Double choked on his words for a moment before finishing the introductions. "and our apprentices. Ray, Leia, and AJ. Michelle and Dante are twins, Ashley and Marzia followed us."

"Nice to meet ya'll. I'm Isabelle, but call me Izzy. I'm the deputy of the Wolf Pack, which lives in this part of the Rushland Snows." I listened to her words carefully, and I could hear a slight British accent in her voice. A grey tail popped out from behind her, white lining the bottom of the fur. It waved slightly, even as she crossed her arms.

"So, why don't I take you to the pack? You guys look like you need a rest." Izzy offered, and I suddenly found myself vigorously nodding. I just realized how tired I was, even though it was only around four o'clock. A lot had happened this afternoon, and walking through snow wasn't very fun, so running through it was even worse. I was tempted to just fall asleep, but I would probably just die from frostbite.

Since everyone had agreed, just like me, we started the trek towards the Wolf Pack, as Izzy had called it. Moona and the blonde lead the way, talking about something that I couldn't hear. I fell to the back, next to AJ, who was silent. Leia was talking to Jason, Ashley, and Kat, Sky was talking to Ian, Mitch, and Jerome, Michelle, Dante, and Ty were walking together in awkward silence, and Bodil and Double were being forced to listen to Marzia ramble about something.

"Hey AJ?" I asked, looking at her from the corner of my eyes. She was rubbing her hands together, occasionally blowing hot air onto them. She hummed to tell me that she had heard me. "What do you think about the new girl, Izzy?"

She stayed silent for a moment, just thinking as she walked. "Well, she seems okay, but I can't really tell. Ian will tell me if she's fine later on." She answered in a soft voice, rubbing her eyes for a moment. I sighed. She had always put her trust in Ian, for some reason that she hadn't explained yet.

"Don't you have your own opinion? Why don't _you_ decide if she should be your friend or not?" I countered back.

"Yes, I do, but the cake is a lie." She blurted out, sending me a small glare. "The only trustworthy cake is cheesecake, since the cheese purifies it." I gently tap my palm against my forehead, letting out a sigh of frustration. Not only does she trust Ian too much, but she also says random things, just like Derp Ssundee…

We walked into the pack area, arguing the rest of the way. It was all in friendly fun, and had actually helped wake me up.

**Before anyone says anything, yes, I'm technically really late. Do I care? No. Why? Because I stayed up to finish this, and it's still Saturday in my mind. I risked my computer for you guys, so you better be happy. And yes this is short, but the last one was over two thousand words, therefore the longest chapter in this. Don't complain. I am such a night owl. Why is it that I'm most creative at night? Why is it easier for me to convince myself to write at night? The world will never know. The world will also never know why I keep repeating Einshine's Secret over and over. Perhaps that's why I'm awake... Don't blame me if I seem out of it right now. Einshine's Secret plus no sleep is a terrible combination.**

**It's so late that Nij and Jin are asleep. Not even my thoughts will wake them up. Good thing I changed the song too... It's now Revenge. ... I'm not getting any sleep tonight. I would probably only have about seven hours anyways... It's a quarter to five am where I am right now. Don't say anything. Half of my insomnia is working, so don't fail. Did I mention that I was listening to Revenge? Eh, I don't care.**

**CAUSE BABY TONIGHT, THE CREEPER'S TRYING TO STEAL ALL OUR STUFF AGAIN! CAUSE BABY TONIGHT, YOU GRAB YOUR PICK, SHOVEL AND BOLT AGAIN (and bolt again)! AND RUN, RUN UNTIL IT'S DONE, DONE UNTIL THE SUN COMES UP IN THE MORN'! CAUSE BABY TONIGHT, THE CREEPER'S TRYING TO STEAL ALL OUR STUFF AGAIN! ... Sorry.**

**Think that's it. Uh, one thing to people who have OCs in this, please send me a PM of what I can do to your OC, and what I can't do. Just for reference. Like... I can make your character blind, or I can't. That's it. I'll see my clanmates later! KK, so, BYE!**


	21. The Journey Continues

**Just wanna quickly say sorry for skipping last week's update. I did that on purpose, since I wanted to finish something before my school starts, which is in two weeks. I'm trying to clear my plate so I can focus on this, and any other stories that I have planned to come out after this one is finished! So, read on!**

Everyone scooted into the area Izzy had brought us too, brushing out the pines that got stuck in our hair and clothing. The area was bustling with wolves, running around, trying to complete any tasks given to them. It seemed much like the clan, except for the fact that it was less laidback.

The wolves ran in and out of bushes and cracks between rocks, quickly moving. Some dashed into the forest, right past us, clearing out the area quite a bit. None of them stopped to question us, not even glance at us. Their thick fur swept past the pines, but the ones that got stuck didn't bother the wolves.

We move out of the entrance, standing awkwardly to the side as Izzy went off to do something. She

apparently went to go get their leader, having left us to just watch the business that happened in the pack.

As I let my eyes scan the area, they fell upon something- no, _someone_- that I was surprised I didn't notice before. He was leaning over a small fire that he must have made himself, sitting on something that looked like a backpack. The reason he was probably sitting on it was so he didn't get his jeans wet from the snow. He was wearing a turquoise jacket, which had short sleeves that ended with a red hem. The jacket was worn over a plain black shirt, which matched the color of the fingerless gloves he wore.

Around his neck were headphones. The headband was navy, and the earpieces were similar to Ty's, since they had a band of green go around a circle of red in the center. His brown hair was slightly ruffled, indicating that he had just taken off his headphones.

The thing that seemed most off about him was how he was wearing glasses. They were gray and thin, and his eyes hung over the frame. His eyes were an olive green, but they lightened to an emerald at the bottom of his eye, and darkened to a evergreen at the top.

Something in my mind told me that I knew him, and I have to admit, he did seem recognisable, but I couldn't name him. Nobody else seemed to notice him, and Izzy still hadn't returned. I walked over to AJ, Leia, and Ashley. Michelle and Dante were talking alone, and Marzia was butting into the others talk every now and then.

"Hey guys," I say, catching their attention. They were just talking about something small, probably weapons. "You see that guy over there?" I ask, pointing at the man. He was currently rubbing his hands together. "I feel like I know him from somewhere… Is that just me?"

They all stare at him for a few moments, just thinking. Ashley is the first to react, a small smile on her face. "I've met him before, when I was traveling. I don't know his name, since we've never talked to each other." She responds.

"He does seem familiar." AJ says, and Leia nods in agreement. "I don't know his name either. Maybe Izzy knows?"

"If she does, then we'll have to wait and ask her. She still hasn't returned.." My ocelot friend said, turning around to look for the wolf. Her tail drooped slightly when she couldn't find her, and she turned back to us, her head in the palm of her hand.

"It's not that important anyways." I say, waving my hand slightly. "I just wanted to see if I was the only one who thought I knew him." The others nodded, then returned to their talk. Even though I told them that it didn't bother me, it still did. It buzzed around in my mind, flying around and not leaving me alone.

"Hey, I'm back." The sudden voice startled me, and it seemed like everyone was startled. We all moved back to form our clump, and faced Izzy as she stood next to a wolf hybrid. "This is Sundust, our pack alpha." Sundust nodded his head, extending his hand. Sky took in first and shook it gently, and the others followed his example.

"Pleased to meet you. Izzy has told me your situation, and we can allow you to rest on a small portion of our territory for the night." He offered, his voice almost as deep as Kermit's. Sky smiled.

"Thank you. We'll be gone by morning." Our leader said, and Sundust nodded.

"If you need to stay a little longer, that would be fine." Sundust added, placing a hand on Izzy's shoulder. "I've heard quite a bit about you just now from Skyheart here."

"Skyheart?" Marzia asked, her voice laced with curiosity. She tilted her head slightly too. "Who's Skyheart, what do they know about us, and what do they have to do with us?"

"I'm Skyheart." Izzy replied, swatting away Sundust's hand. He chuckled to himself, turning to leave. "Our pack slightly works like a clan. Everyone has a warrior name, but we also have names that we tell strangers to call us. It's easier for them to remember." Izzy explained.

"That's… understandable." Jason declared, slightly nodding his head. "Anyways, should we head to the area where we're staying for the night?" A ripple of yeahs came from our group, and Izzy started leading us the way that we were heading, after making sure everyone had their things.

Right before we left, I glanced back at the strange man, finding him staring at us leaving before he turned around. I stared at his for a few more moment before Mitch called back, telling me that we were leaving. I slowly tore my gaze away from the man, and caught up to the others, apologizing for making them wait.

"Actually, I have to leave." Ashley stopped us. We looked at her in confusion, wondering why she needed to leave. "I have something I need to do in the Sathorn region." She turned her back to us, starting to walk back to the pack again. "Maybe I'll see ya'll someday again!" She called before she started running through the snow, somehow managing to not slip.

Even though she couldn't see us, we waved to her until she disappeared between the pine trees, and then we started walking to our area again, this time with heavy hearts.

**Bye Ashley! Everyone say bye to Ashley! Anyways, I did basically this whole chapter today! The first two paragraphs are from earlier on this week. How did I do so? I found my writing song! It's called Yet to Show by 7 Birches, and it's like fuel to my creativity. **

_More like fuel to your stupidity._

**You're just full of vinegar since you had to deal with my AWESOME thoughts all day.**

_..._

**That's what I thought. Anyways, I'm sorry if this seemed like a boring chapter. I have something planned that will hopefully make you excited or something. Anything but bored will work. XD I don't really have anything left to say, so yeah. I'll see my clanmates later! KK, so, BYE!**


	22. Twists and Turns

*AJ's POV*

I zoned out of the conversation the others were having, despite it being about weapons, bows in particular. Everyone had joined in, even Moona, who was usually more solitary or talking to Izzy.

I fell to the quiet end of the group, the very back. It was slowly turning nighttime, the moon peeking out from behind a few trees. It seemed a bit eerie, since I could have sworn the sun had a quarter of the sky to sink into, but it was probably just that I had lost track of time. I shrugged it off, just listening to the peacefulness of the forest as we continued to walk on.

I caught snippets of the conversation the others were having, and it seemed like they were arguing over which was better- bows or swords- and Jerome randomly jumped in saying that an axe was the best weapon, making them laugh. I was tempted to butt in a say that knives were the best, but I was the only one to think that.

The majority of our team used bows, but with the ones we had picked up after we left, it was pretty even. Some of us used both, depending on the situation we were in. It really just mattered on skill.

By now, the conversation had died down, and it was silent, the only noise was the crunching of the snow underneath our feet and the sounds from the forest. No, there was something else. Howling? Howling. A wolf- no, multiple wolves howling. The others slowly picked up on it as it got louder.

The howls were laced with, what seemed like, pain. Everyone looked at each other before quickly dashing back the way we just came from. I wasn't sure if I was the only one who thought something bad was happening, but I doubt I was.

At that moment, it decided to start snowing. Our vision was covered in white pellets, and it was harder to see if there was something in front of us, whether it be a tree or someone else. We had to trust our instincts to lead us.

And instinct led us the right way. Soon we were at the edge of a clearing, and the snow only then seemed to calm down, giving us a clear view of what was happening.

There was a giant squid, but it took me a while to realize that. It had a bunch of metal tentacles protruding from its body, and they were flying everywhere, along with the real ones. Every so often, a wolf would try to hold onto a tentacle with their claws and teeth, but more often than not they would go flying off and hit a tree, crimson forcing white back. It would have been an understatement to say that we were all surprised.

Ray was the first one to react. She immediately started climbing up the nearest tree, and when she reached the top, she pulled out her bow and notched an arrow, waiting a moment before she released it. Once it found its mark, that's when the rest of us realized we should do something.

I pulled out two knives, one from my boot and another from my grey belt, then charged forwards. It moved around the random mobs that were spawning, and used the tentacles slamming into the ground to pull myself upwards. My goal: an eyeball.

I pushed myself up, ready to stab my knives into the thing's flesh, when the limb I was aiming for suddenly disappeared and was replaced with a metal one. Out of panic, I couldn't think of anything better, so I let myself slam into it, the sound of something cracking coming from somewhere along my body. I think it was my leg, since I could feel it throb with pain. When I started to slide down the metal, I wrapped my arms around it and reached a chink in the plating. My arms fell into it, and I let out a huff as my body suddenly stopped moving.

Groaning, I placed the bottom of my boots against the material and forced the weapons against the metal, and I shoved myself away, right as a real tentacle slapped against where I just was. I smirked, letting myself fall onto it. When my knives made contact with the skin, I waited for a moment as it flung me around, gritting my teeth.

It was all worth it, because after while, it went over its head and I pushed off, letting myself hang in the air. If I looked back towards the way we were supposed to sleep, then it would have been a beautiful sight. But below me, all there was bloodshed. Bloodshed of the innocent.

Growling, gravity suddenly seemed aware of my presence, and I fell. I just let myself fall. It was honestly refreshing, since we had been walking for so long. As I approached my target, I got my knives ready to strike, the eyeball swiveling to stare at me.

I leaned away when blood spurted out of the deep wound I had put in the thing's eyeball. Next to me, and arrow embedded itself, and I looked over my shoulder to see Mitch grinning. I pulled my knives out, and jumped to the ground. I landed on my feet, but I fell over as my ankle exploded with pain.

I put away the bloody knives before trying to stand, but I ended up falling over again before I could get off my knee.I felt my energy drain from me, probably since it was just adrenalin. I laid down in the snow, letting the numbing feeling of the cold just take over my body.

I had closed my eyes, but when I opened them again, I say Ian yelling at me to wake up. I groaned, just like a child being woken up and told to go to school. I tried to shift my arm, but I couldn't feel anything. My arm had been fully numbed, and so had the rest of my limbs. And so was my back. And- oh Notch I couldn't feel anything.

Ian continued to yell at me, telling me to get up- to move. I wanted to scream that I couldn't, but my body didn't want to listen. Out of the corner of my eyes I could see the shiny glint of metal- had the others sliced off all the real tentacles? I guess they had, since there was only a storm of grey.

Looking closer, I realized that there were two silently snaking towards us, and I wanted to point and scream, but I couldn't. Ian seemed to realize something was wrong, and looked around, and he saw them. Gritting his teeth, he tried to pick my limp body up, but the limb looped around his waist and he was hoisted into the air. I soon followed, and the others yelled.

I stared at the metal, since I couldn't straighten my body, and I could tell the others thought I was dead. As I looked down, I saw Jerome charge at the squid, the roar of anger he let loose even reaching my ears. He did something similar to what I had done, but he stopped at the body and sliced with Betty. The squid let out a roar somehow, and the tentacles stopped swinging around wildly, and started aiming at Jerome.

The bacca realized this and jumped over a few, just barely not getting caught. When he was landing after trying to dodge, he landed badly and toppled forward. The thing took its moment and was able to grab Jerome before he even got to his knee, having only been able to turn and watch as the limb grabbed him.

Mitch- I could tell it was Mitch- screamed, but someone held him back. The same ended up happening to a few of the others- Leia, Dante, and Jason. The others ended up slicing more wounds into the monster- since that's what it really was, a monster- before it realized it had enough and started to turn back.

I could hear the slight pinging sound the arrows made when they were released from the grip of the wielder, and they continued for a while, the monster just continuing to move forwards. If anyone had been screaming, then it was impossible to hear them, since the last noise I could hear was Mitch screaming.

**Did ya'll like that? I liked it. And GASP! I wrote this whole chapter today?! Ermergad, I really did! This isn't a dream, right? A hallucination? No? WELL THEN WE CELEBRATE! Not actually. I wanna quickly say that I'm changing the schedule so this is updated every _other_ Saturday, since school is starting for in two days for me. It'll also benefit you guys, since after not writing a story for a week, I get this really strong urge to write it. Anyways, I'll see you later my clanmates! KK, so, BYE!**


	23. Suspicions

**Hey guuuuuys. It's feels like it's been forever since I updated. XD Oh well, I got to work on some... ****_secret_****projects. This is a filler role-play that I did with- you guessed it- kfcrowe. I think I don't need to say anything anymore. But uh... Yeah sorry this is a filler. Whoops. :P This basically just explains some things.**

*Ashley's POV*

I groaned, slowly blinking to clear my vision, trying to remember where I was, and what had happened. The last thing I could remember was… being ambushed in Rushland? Yeah, that was it.

Pushing my upper body up with my arms, I glanced at the floor, which was covered with a red carpet. A red carpet? Nobody likes red carpet. What the heck? I looked up, and instantly lurched back from the stench and sight.

"Welcome, welcome! Why don't you have a seat, Miss _Ashley_?" Pointing to a seat next to himself was, as stupid and unhonorable as he was, the Squid King, Derpollolus. I glared at him, chains rattling as I realized that my hands were handcuffed together.

I got to my knees, looking around the throne room. Two guards stood/hovered near the only door behind me, and the only other living thing in the room was Derpollolus. I stood and walked cautiously to the chair, sitting down with tense muscles. What is that guy thinking?

"Well, I believe you can already tell where you are, but, just in case you're an idiot like a few others, you are, indeed, in our base." The squid king smirked, seemingly proud of himself for calling others idiots. I stared at him, waiting for him to get to the point already.

"Yeah?" I asked. "What's your point?"

"Have patience, child." He replied, and I gagged. Since when did he think it was okay for him to call me 'child'? "As for the point, I'll get to that soon. You'll want to get comfy now, since your stay here will be, shall we say, _prolonged_." He continued. I tried to stand up and punch his face in, but a guard ran over and shoved me back into my chair, holding me there while I struggled to stand again.

"Fine, fine... I'm comfy," I gave up, leaning back in my chair. The squid holding me let go and quickly crawled back to their original position. I coughed quietly of the smell that now surrounded me. The king smiled grotesquely.

"Good. Now, you get to be in my luxurious throne room just this once," Derpollolus threw his tentacles into the air, pointing around the room with them, the same smirk from earlier still on his face. "so, you should absorb the looks. Now, the point. You're in here because you're here for questioning."

"Ugh... Fine, what do you think that I would know?"

"Well, my sources say that you were with… _Him_, earlier, so we believe that you would be able to tell us something." His kindness and formality confused me, and so did the comment about a him. "So, if you cooperate, who knows, we might throw you out early! If you don't, you better be prepared to rot in your cell for all eternity." He growled. Ah, there was the hatred.

"Him... Oh! You must mean Sky. Yeah, I was with him," I answered blankly. My mind seemed muddy, like it was impossible to multitask. I shook my head. I may as well just concentrate on one thing, the squid king in front of me.

"Do not _DARE_ to say His name in front of me. Or I might ju…" I stopped paying attention, instead trying to figure out how I could get out. Or how to get my mind working again. Either would work.

The door, guarded by two, unarmed squids. They would catch me, and reinforcements would certainly come. But if I could- "HEY! Listen up! Where was he going?!" Derpollolus exclaimed, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Uh, to some random place. I think they called the place the Creatures or something… Maybe… Guam, was it?" I answered without thinking, just now realizing that I shouldn't tell him anything. Well… Too late on that one.

"Guam... Guam was captured by our squids, and His army certainly wouldn't travel to that island. But if it was the Creatures He seeked, could you possibly mean CarlTopia?" The king asked. I nodded again, but then realized that mistake too. I groaned and hung my head. Why is my head so messed up?

"Haha… Unfortunately, I don't think we'll make it there before them… We don't have access to those waters…" He mumbled, not knowing that I could hear him clearly. "So, they're still in Rushland Snows?" Don't nod, don't nod, don't nod… I nodded. WHY?! JUST WHY?!

"Ahh... Then we could possibly send our land team assault to bait them towards the sea," he said louder. "What allies do they have with them?"

I bit my tongue this time. He waited my answer, looking down on my from his high throne… "TheJaguarclanleaderarougeandtheirapprentices." He grinned. Why am I so stupid…

"Simple. Too easy to take down, but let me be clear. Give me a count, how many fighters do they have that can fight well? Don't count the apprentices, they're just refined maids."

I growled. I wasn't going to let my mind get in the way of this one… "Too many for you to take down, even WITH your army! And, the apprentices are maids. I'm pretty sure they could beat your ass all by themselves if they wanted to!" Yessssss. Score one for Ashley.

"The drug seems to be wearing off, but I'll ask again. How many fighters?" The king replied. Drugs? What?

"Too. Many. For. You. To. Take. Down!" I repeated.

"HOW MANY?!"

"SCREW YOU, THAT'S HOW MANY!"

The king paused and let out a laugh, confusing me even more. I lost concentration, becoming more concerned for figuring out why he was laughing.

"I think you don't understand. You'll answer my questions, we'll get done, and then we can all be happy and you get to stay in your cell. How does that sound?" He asked, a cheery undertone in his voice.

"I'd rather DIE!" I screamed.

The king huffed, about to say something, but the door slammed open, then shut, behind me, and I turned around. A small squid ran over to Derpollous, whispering in his ear about something. The squid king nodded, and the squid ran out of the door. "Well, it seems you'll have to go back to your cell. I have… _business_ to take care of." He said, not bothering to hide his evil grin.

The guards squirmed up to me and waited for me to stand. I slowly stood up, subtly yanking a pair of keys from one of the squid's belt. Wait, why were they wearing belts in the first place? I didn't get a chance to think about it, as we were soon making our way down corridors and to an area of cages and cells.

They yanked me to a stop and one, the one I didn't steal the keys from, opened the door, then the other threw me in. I met the ground with a thud, and heard the door slam. I looked around, finding myself with some people I didn't know. Perhaps some of Sky's army…?

Once the squids left, I turned to the people. "Hey... You Sky's friends?" I asked blankly.

"N-not his friends… But we are part of his army…" One said, obviously nervous. "I-I'm John, by the way, and this is Melissa and Jake."

I held up my palm, which held the key ring. "I believe this might help us?"

"T-the key!" Melissa said, excitement and surprise in her voice. "How did you get that?!"

"Spoilers," I whispered, standing up and walking to the door. I concentrated on finding the right key, and when I did, the door unlocked with a satisfying CLICK. Smiling, I pulled the door open and walked towards the next cell. "Any enemy of the squids is a friend of mine."

"Say, you've got spirit and hope. Something none of us had in a long time." Jake stepped up to say as I looked out the cell to look for guards. There were none, since the squids apparently were so stupid that they didn't have guards at the cells. Huh, not surprising.

"Hey, get outta here, I'll catch up once I check the rest of this place," I ordered, and the trio nodded before rushing down the opposite way. I walked down the hall, checking each cell and cage until I reached the far door. It opened, revealing a squid guard, who promptly dropped his drink on the floor in shock. "Crap," I muttered before turning around and running.

I heard the squid yell something along the lines of "Seepacse! Meht teg!" Something stupid like that. I saw two guards in front of me, and I swerved to the right to dodge them.

I jumped over their tentacles and right onto a third one, who wound it's tentacles around my legs. I screeched and tried to kick it, but more just grabbed my other limbs.

I grabbed an arrow I always have hidden on my and stab their limbs until they let me go, quickly getting back up and running again. I entered another corridor, which had a bunch of guards at the end of the hall. I gritted my teeth, turning back around, but the other guards were behind me too.

I sighed and looked at the groups of squids running at me. Seeing no way out, I dropped the arrow. "Notch save me..." was the last thing I said before the mass of tentacles tangled around me and knocked me out.


	24. Warrior

**I'm so sorry for such a late update. I mean, a week late? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?! Yeah, I can answer that. I've been drowning in homework, and only recently been able to swim to the top. Heck, I have homework sitting right in front of me at this moment. It's staring me down. I need to go do that, so enjoy the story.**

*Mitch's POV*

Screaming. There was loud screaming. It was right next to me. No, not next to me, it was... closer than that. I was screaming. Why was I screaming? Because Jerome was taken by the Squids? I've dealt with worse. And screaming wasn't going to get him back. So why?

It was when I asked myself this question I realized I should stop screaming, which I did. The others were milling around, trying to figure out what we should do. I got up and rubbed my knees, which were drenched and sore from me sitting in the snow so long on them.

It was silent since I stopped screaming. No one said anything, and it seemed like the forest was mourning for the dead wolves. I stopped next to one that looked like Sundust, and keeled next to him. Was it technically our fault that they were dead? No, it was the squids. Then why did I feel guilty?

I got back up and walked over to Adam, where almost everyone was. He was quietly thinking, a concentrating look woven onto his face. He sighed and shrugged, looking defeated. "For now, all we can do is give these wolves a proper resting place." He whispered, his voice broken like glass. Everyone nodded and went over to a wolf with someone else.

I ended up next to Adam, and we silently shifted the dirt near our feet so that way we could make a decent hole for the wolf to rest in. The only noise that we could hear was the sound of dirt shifting, and the others silently talking to each other. Adam and myself, however, were silent; we didn't have anything to say to each other, and I honestly didn't feel like having a conversation with anyone at the moment. It didn't seem like Adam wanted one either.

We finished up our first one rather quickly, and the same was with the second, third, fourth, and fifth one. We started to become tired, and our hands hurt from having to dig through the cold dirt, so we sat down at the edge of the clearing and watched the others work.

I decided it was time that I should talk to Adam. After all, it was obvious he blamed himself. So I told him that. "Adam," He turned his head to look at me, possibly wondering what I could want, "we can tell you blame yourself. But you shouldn't."

He looks to the ground, his hair flopping over his shades as he sighed. "I know that Mitch, I really do. But it's so much easier to blame myself than anyone else."

"What about blaming the squids?"

"They wouldn't have done all of this if I hadn't met them."

"So you're blaming it on Izzy?"

"She would have chased us out because she didn't know us, and we were on their territory without knowing if we were a threat or not." He grumbled, hugging his shoulders.

"Now you're blaming Moona."

"If I had made sure we didn't get too close without knowing it was safe, she wouldn't have attacked us."

"Now the blame is on Jason because he didn't do his research."

"If I had- why exactly are you making me do this again?" He asked, and I chuckled. He finally saw it.

"I'm making you do that so you can see that blame isn't just on you, but on everyone." I told him, and he frowned. "We take the blame as a team."

He was silent for a moment before laughing a bit and shaking his head at the same time, a smile drawn onto his lips. "Y'know Mitch, you also seem to know the right time to say something."

I smiled. We went back into our silence, but this time, it wasn't awkward. It was comfortable. The weight that was resting on Adam's shoulders was the same thickness that was in the air, and it was easily lifted with that conversation we just had. Adam wasn't frowning; he was smiling. I was too. The incident was pushed back for a while as we just sat there, sat in our little pool of happiness.

The others finished up rather quickly, and soon the weight was on **all** of our shoulders, as a team. "Okay team, we can't stray from our original goal." Adam said, confidence in his voice. "We have to believe that the others can handle themselves, and know that we're coming for them."

Everyone nodded, his statement clear. He expected us to all be responsible, no matter how sad we might be that our friends have just been taken away. He was even expecting the others to be responsible.

A few of the others glanced at me, and I could understand why. It was obvious that they would suspect I would be breaking down into tears over Jerome's capture. I wasn't though, and it was obvious with how quiet I was being. I wasn't a baby. I was a warrior. And so was everyone else. We just… have to keep that mentality going. It was our wall.

"I know somewhere we can stay for the night." Moona brought up suddenly, and Kat seemed to stiffen. "But we leave as soon as it's morning. Got that?" She said, her voice also stiff, if that was possible. "Come on, I'm sure no one wants to freeze to death."

And with such prompting, we followed her into the forest.

_Maddy wants us to tell you guys that she says 'I'll see you later my clanmates! KK, so, BYE!"_


	25. Sleep, Child

**Originally, this was gonna be shorter and I would have uploaded this around three o'clock Eastern time, but you know, people would have swarmed my house and-**

_Killed you. Right. Cause that would mean you wouldn't get to continue the story, and they totally wouldn't realize that._

**... On second thought... KILL ME, COME ATTACK ME! MY HOUSE ADDRESS IT XXXXX, XX XXXXXXX XXX, XXXXXXXXXX, XX**

Totally legit.

**Anyways, you guys are back! Uh, we'll have a reunion afterwards. So, reader, I'm gonna go back to some chapters and change some minor details, like Jin's type of text. It'll be bold in the story, since it sometimes doesn't work. So he'll have plain text in the ANs. Byeeeeeeee.**

*Moona's POV*

We trudged through the snow as everyone followed me to the place I had mentioned. I could feel Kat giving me a heated glare, but I did my best to ignore it. There was no choice, and she would have to learn that. It wasn't as if I didn't want to do this, I wanted to shout at her, but not with the others around.

We soon found our location, a small wooden cabin. No, there was something else that was needed to be added to that list of adjectives. A small _burnt_ wooden cabin. The others watched as I continued to walk towards the cabin, looks of confusion covering their faces. The only ones with different expressions were Kat and Izzy, Izzy looking shocked and Kat, well, being angry. Her face didn't change at all from earlier.

"This is where we'll be staying?" Double asked once we arrived at the destroyed building. It was just as I remembered it. The only difference was that it was rotting. Good thing the roof had already burned down, along with some of the wall. Of course, some people would be a bit cold, but there was enough shelter for us to be able to sleep.

"Apparently." Kat said, a chill in her voice. She brushed past me, purposely bumping her shoulder against mine and looking at me. She stopped a few feet in front of the house, looking it up and down. "It's just as I remember it too…" She muttered.

Sky thought for a moment, and I froze. He was in a close enough area as to where he could hear her. "Just as you remember it? You were here before?" Kat froze, her legs tensing and her arms locking up. She turned around suddenly.

"Well, yeah!" She cheered, but not enough to be suspicious. "How else would we know of this place?"

No one said anything. After a while of itching silence, I trekked through the snow, which I could have sworn felt ten times heavier on my feet, and didn't wait for the others while I entered the house. By the sounds of it, no one moved for a while, meaning I got a few moments to look everything over by myself.

In the corner was a dusty cat bowl, next to a drinking bowl for the same cat. The painted-on name had peeled off, and impossible to read. It sat next to a counter, which was dusty. The stone was cold as I ran my fingers through the dust.

The others stepped in just as I turned around. "Well, make yourselves at home." I motioned for Kat and Izzy to help me move an old, wooden table that looked like it would crumble out of the way. My friend moved the chairs out of the way while me and Kat shoved it against the wall. It let out a creak as we did so.

Everyone shuffled around in the small room, looking for somewhere to stand. I sighed and had Kat and Izzy gather some people and move them to two other rooms, both which had remains of colorful beds. Kat took Ty, Michelle, and Sky. They would be sleeping in the room with two bed remains. Izzy took Double, Mitch, and Ray. They took the room with only one old bed.

I was left with Bodil and Marzia. We were left with a couch and a wooden floor. "One of you guys can take the couch. I much rather prefer the floor anyways." I told them over my shoulder, getting some blankets out of the hall closet.

"Well, uh, you can take the bed then, Marzia." Bodil offered to the girl, taking a blanket from me. I tried to give one to Marzia, but she didn't seem to notice me. I threw it onto the couch, trusting her to get it herself and started to make a little makeshift bed for myself.

"Thanks, Bodil!" She squealed behind me, and I risked a glance. Marzia was standing about a whisker-length away from the man in the suit. Bodil was obviously stuck in an awkward situation, but Marzia didn't back up. I rolled my eyes and turned around.

"… _Well then."_ Nij said, and I sighed, laying down in my now-finished bed. "_That wasn't expected."_

"**Course it wasn't, you idjit."**

"_Idjit? Are you living on a pirate ship, you old fart?"_

"**If I'm old, you are too. We're twins, you remember that, right?"**

"_No, I tried to erase it from my memory, because I'm embarrassed that I even know you."_

"Both of you, just stop arguing." I muttered under my breath, wanting to get some sleep. The two spirits glared at each other from across my mind. Usually, they were just joking around, but this time, it seemed as if they wanted to murder each other. I grew concerned.

I hear some shifting next to me, and looked to see what it was. There I saw Bodil, or more so his back, and heard light snoring noises coming from him. The couch creaked, indicating that the fox hybrid was going to sleep as well. I laid back down, closing my eyes. The only hear able thing was crickets from outside, and, of course, Bodil's quiet snoring.

It was all quite calming, and I soon fell asleep.

"_**Upupupup…"**_

~MEANWHILE~

*Kat's POV*

Everyone quickly and quietly fell asleep, spreading out around the room. I sat by the door, watching it to make sure it didn't move. It didn't.

I felt as if I had some sort of responsibility to keep everyone in the room safe. I don't know why. Maybe it was because I knew this place in and out, maybe it was because Moon led everyone here, or maybe it was because of what happened.

I looked away from the door, shifting around to look into the darkness of the room. My eyes found Adam, who was against the wall. He was staring at me with concerned eyes, for some reason.

"What?" I whispered to him. My tone was a bit harsher than I meant it to be, but I didn't really care. He blinked at me, scanning my face for something. I kept it emotionless.

"... Nothing." He said, then turned around. I scrunched up my face, the scooched a little closer. He obviously wasn't talking about nothing.

"What are you talking about?" I asked him again, poking his back. He glanced over his shoulder, sighed, and then turned to face me.

"Which one of you is older, Moona or you?" He asked suddenly, and I looked at him in shock, before resetting it look emotionless. He just continued to stare at my face.

"I am. I'm sixteen, and she's fifteen." I watched him as the information sunk in. He nodded slowly in understanding. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just… you seem a bit more carefree than her. Why's that?" I thought of an answer. Sometimes, Moon can be a bit stricter than me but… No, it has to be because of what happened back then.

"It's just apart of our past. That's it." I turned around, stopping him from asking anything else. I shimmied back to my area next to the door and closed my eyes. I just want to be left alone right now… And sleep overtook me.

_**"**__**Upupupup…"**_

**QUESTION: What do you think the mysterious **_"Upupupup…"_ **is?**


	26. Shattered Glass and Shattered Memories

**Sorry for the super late chapter, I tried to make it longer yesterday, but couldn't make it because I wanted to work on something else. I haven't had much time to work on this story too, since I have a lot of homework. I don't have much inspiration either, and honestly I would prefer writing one-shots a bit more... whoops.**

**Either way, here it is, hot off the press!**

*Moona's POV*

I yawned, seeing it was already morning. I rubbed my eyes, still tired. However, things needed to get done, and, seeing as no one else was awake, I was probably the one who had to get said things done, no matter how boring they would be.

Unfortunately, my plan to have a peaceful morning to myself was foiled as the blanket next to me rustled, and a messy haired man sat up, his clothes disheveled. He too yawned, a hand going to look for his sunglasses.

"Well good morning Napping Queen." I whispered to Bodil, starting to stand. He turned to me once he had his sunglasses on. I still didn't really understand why he needed them, but who am I to question why people do things?

"Hey Moona, I didn't see you there." He chuckled awkwardly, a hand going behind his head to rub his neck. He yawned again, flopping back onto the floor where he had slept. "And what's up with Napping Queen? Shouldn't it be Sleeping Beauty or something?"

I snatched the blankets off the floor, effectively making Bodil groan from the cold. "I've never heard of this 'Sleeping Beauty'. Napping Queen, however, is the tale of a queen that fell asleep for a long period of time, only being awakened by her mate." I explained, folding the blankets over my arm.

"... What's a queen again?" Bodil asked, and I sighed like it was common knowledge. Well, for me it was.

"It's a she-cat expecting or nursing kits."

"Well, the story is basically the same, minus the 'queen' part." Bodil shrugged while I put the blankets on a rotting table, surprised it could still stand.

Marzia groaned in her sleep, turning around to face the backside of the couch. I froze for a moment, not wanting to wake her up. Luckily, she stayed asleep. Either way, I didn't want to risk her waking up. Some things are easier with less people.

"Well, I'm gonna go get some water for breakfast." I whispered, walking towards the door. Bodil watched as I opened the creaking door, and he watched as the door closed. I wonder why.

Either way, I grabbed the two rusted buckets that I knew would be there, and headed towards the creek that I also knew was nearby. I heard the door creak, and figured that Bodil had gotten off the floor and decided to follow me. I sighed as I continued walking, hearing the snow crunch under the Bulgarian's shoes.

We walked in silence after he caught up to me, the only noise the rattling of the rusty bucket as I handed it to Bodil, who just quietly took it. Crickets chirped in the background, the sun coming up from over the evergreen trees. That was the only sound, or at least until…

"What did you want to say back then?"

I turn towards Bodil, who had stopped walking for a bit. I erased the surprise from my face, and turn back around. "What are you talking about." I asked, not caring that it was underlined with harshness. I didn't care that I already knew what he was talking about.

"Up on the hill. Before we got into the town*. You know what I'm talking about. Don't act like you don't." Bodil's tone fell flat as he yawned, the bucket creaking as he brought his arm over his head. I ran a hand through my hair. Did he really have to talk about this?

"Yeah yeah yeah. Doesn't mean I want to talk about it…" I sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time this morning, and snapped a branch back into the Bulgarian's face as we got to the bushy area next to the creek. "Either way, why do you want to know?"

"Don't dodge the que-" Bodil spat leaves out of his mouth as I stared at the not so... creek-y creek. "Whoa… I don't think it's supposed to be like this…"

Instead of seeing crystal clear water, all we saw was a moat. The water had disappeared. The ground was still a bit spongy, showing that this could only have happened recently. Or at least, not too long ago. There was an area where the ground looked darker, and so I cautiously slinked over to it, pressing my fingers into the wet soil. When I pulled my fingers back, they were tinted with a dark red color, the material on my fingers sticky and slick.

"Oh Notch, is that blood?!" Bodil said when he crept next to me. I nodded, smelling it. It certainly wasn't a wild animals' blood, but the smell was more of a mix.

"It's either… human blood, or squid blood, I think." I held my fingers out so Bodil could smell it himself, but he just backed away and waved his hands in the air.

_It's both human and squid blood, stupid. _Nij interrupted, yawning loudly. Another yawn followed his, signaling that Jin was also awake. Being deeply engrossed in the- well- _blood_, I did not have time for any idiotic comments that I expect them to conjure.

"Do you think it could be… maybe a mix of both?" I asked Bodil reluctantly. I didn't want to believe that Nij could possibly be correct, but it made logical sense when I thought about it. Bodil paused for a second, taking his time with thinking. Occasionally, he would tilt his head, then shake it.

"Yeah, most likely. I think someone either ambushed the squids here, or was dragged here by the squids." The Bulgarian inquired, like some sort of detective.

"Those are the only things that make some sort of sense." I agreed, and we fell into a silence as we both worked to draw our own conclusions. Seeing as I couldn't think of anything, I tapped Bodil on his shoulder. When he turned to me, I said, "Maybe we should head back. We're not getting any water, and we should probably tell the others. Not gonna be any use to break our backs over something that already happened."

"Right. You're right. Let's go then." The suit-wearer stood up and brushed dirt off of himself, but I honestly didn't care about some dust.

I let Bodil go first, wanting to ask Jin and Nij something. "Hey, guys?" I mumbled, finally tuning back into their conversation. They were currently throwing whatever thought** they could get a hold of at each other, shouting profanities. "Hey, guys!" I mumbled a bit louder. Somehow, I believe they heard me.

_**What do you want. **_They asked at the same time, except it wasn't stated as a question.

"I was just wondering why you guys were fighting in the first place." I sighed. "I mean, did I miss something?"

**You wouldn't understand, trust me.** Jin said, and Nij nodded.

_Just… Later._ Nij sighed, and they disappeared from my mind. I growled, angry that they thought I would have time later. I actually probably would, but I wanted answers. Either way, I caught up to Bodil, who had slowed down a bit.

"You know, you never answered my question from earlier." Bodil said, and I clicked my tongue. He still remembered that, great. "So, like, are we ever going to go back to that topic or…?"

"Yeah yeah yeah." I mumbled, regretting almost bringing up the topic back then. I hate people buzzing around in my personal business, because I can't just stop them from doing that by eating them. "I was gonna talk about how Kat and I were prisoners in the squids' base, before we got out. It's probably one of the reasons Kat is so carefree."

"But… how does that make an sense? She's carefree because you guys were captured? Did something happen to her?" Bodil started walking backwards, so he could see my face as I reacted. I just brought my eyes to the pine trees to avoid eye contact.

"She gets rid of all the bad memories in her life, I suppose. Whenever I bring up the topic of something bad, she always looks at me like I made something up." I yawned. It was earlier than I was used to wake up.

"Oh, I see…" Before Bodil could continue with what I assumed would be more questions, we were at the house. I threw the rusted bucket I had to where it was before and flung open the door. I saw that Izzy and Marzia were talking as they cooked some random food the others had in their packs, or where ever they got the food from.

"Hey, there you guys are! I thought something bad happened!" Izzy laughed, tossing some sausages in the air from the pan she was cooking them in. I looked passed her and saw that they were able to get the stove working.

"We were just going to look for water. And I see you got the stove working." I said as I went over the couch and picked up the blanket. Folding it over, I mentioned what Bodil and I found.

"Really? What do you think happened?" Marzia exclaimed, and I only shrugged. I was going to answer, but she seemed to only care about what Bodil was about to say. It seemed to her that I was invisible.

"Well," I butted in, letting Bodil go sit on the couch as Marzia glared daggers at me, "either the squids were ambushed, or the person was dragged there" I placed the now folded blanket on the ones I had folded before. "If you have any other ideas, shoot."

"Mornin~" Double yawned as he walked in on our conversation. Everyone mumbled a greeting as he took a seat beside Bodil on the couch, causing it to sink below his weight. "So, what are you guys talking about?"

"Let's just wait until everyone's awake, I'm too tired to explain again." Bodil uttered, his right palm rubbing his forehead. Double stared at his friend for a bit before shrugging, falling back against the couch. I curled up in the spot I had slept in that morning, just listening to the sounds from the others.

***-****_Chapter ten: Town Business_**** is what is being referenced here.**

****- Nij and Jin can only throw thoughts, because they cannot conjure things themselves. Usually, the thoughts are images, words, or sentences.**


	27. Pointlessness

**I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS SATURDAY YESTERDAY I'M SORRY FORGIVE ME PLEASE**

**I also kinda used Kat to say some things I feel about how this story is going. Only a little bit, don't read into too many things.**

*Kat's POV*

I woke up to the smell of meat and the sound of laughter.

How I could tell it was meat, was the strange amount of sizzling that could only come from such a dish. How I knew that information was unknown, except for a scene flashing in my mind…

Either way, I got up from my warm spot on the floor, stretching my body so that my bones popped and cracked. After that, I quickly swiped a hand through my hair, smoothing it down, despite my not caring much if it looked unruly.

The wooden door creaked as I pushed it open, and I slumped inwards on my body as I walked through the hall. The floor was cold. I was tired. There were so many things that I didn't want to deal with this early in the morning. And as I got closer to the living room, I added chatter and happiness to the list.

Everyone was sitting in a circle, whether it be squished on the couch, on the floor, or sitting on an old, rotting table. Most of them were laughing, while the rest were the ones telling the jokes. My ear twitched in annoyance, disliking the sudden noise in the morning.

I just stood in the hallway, my headphones slowly falling off my head. Moona, who was curled up on the floor, looked at me, tail twitching, before she closed her eyes. I yawned, walking over to a cold plate of food that I assumed was meant for me, and walked back over to my sister, plopping down next to her as I chewed on a stick of meat. It was actually pretty good, whatever I was eating.

Leaning down to whisper in Moon's ear, I swallowed my food. "What exactly is happening?" I asked out of the corner of my mouth. Moona shrugged, her tail flopping around every so often.

"We were waiting for you to wake up, lazy bones." Her words were muffled by her arm, since she was still laying down as she spoke. "We still need to explain what happened. But noooo… you had to sleep till about noon."

"Shut up." I nudged her, causing Moon to grunt. "And explain? What happened?"

"That's why we were waiting for you to wake up, so we didn't have to explain twice. Sheesh."

"Well I'm sorry you're such a grouch in the morning."

Moona grumbled under her breath (something about how I needed a bigger brain, that jerk), and stretched. I took another bite from the food on my plate, losing my appetite after a bit. "Well guys, my sister is awake. Let's get to what we need to do."

The conversations stopped, and soon everyone, minus Marzia (who stared at her fingernails), now had their eyes turned towards my sister. I was actually quite envious of how she could turn the attention of a whole clan to her with just a few words. Of course, she wasn't always like this, but… it was certainly something I couldn't do too easily.

"So, who wants to explain?" The jaguar hybrid asked, looking at Bodil and Izzy. "I already explained earlier, so I call not explaining again." She uttered, causing Izzy to grumble. The wolf hybrid looked to the Bulgarian with a questioning look, and he shrugged, leaning forward.

I honestly wasn't listening, only catching snippets of the conversation. Bodil went on and on about some blood puddle they found near a river, and blah blah blah. I had enough details to keep up with the conversation, I didn't need anything extra.

"Is there anyone that could possibly have been attacked?" Adam asked, and everyone gave him a blank stare, including me. How could we know who got attacked? It would be impossible.

Except, Ray jumped up, something clearly on her mind. "There's a good possibility that it's that man who I saw back at the wolf camp before we left the first time!" She exclaimed. A man? I didn't remember a man, and she wasn't being too specific. When no one responded, she kinda shrunk where she was standing, and sat back down. "N-never mind. I'm probably wrong."

"How about we dub that part unimportant," I said, leaning over the couch, "and focus on how the squids got there. Obviously, they used the river, we know that, but their base is quite far off." I made miniature hand gestures while I talked, with the small motions that I could make while my elbow was still in the material of the couch. "That's the question we should be paying attention to."

"True, true. It doesn't matter who it is, if they got attacked and probably taken by the squids, we should save them." Ty admitted. "About the question, I said it earlier along in the journey, but I did mention that the squids have gotten smarter. It is possible that they got technology."

"But technology is hard to create." Michelle interrupted. "My village doesn't even have much of it. The squids would have to gather the materials, make all the piece, a lot of which are tiny, and then assemble it. That's not easy."

Everyone was silent as we all thought. If we were ever going to solve this, it would take a lot of breaking down. None of us were detectives, that was the problem. Nor did we have enough clues. Adam sighed.

"That's the thing. Transporters don't have small pieces. Or at least, not the one they would have had to make to do all of this. It does take a lot of material, but I- oh, I get it now…" Adam covered his face with his hands, moaning a complaint at the same time.

"What's wrong?" Mitch asked, not getting it. I don't believe anyone got it, so it was quite useful he asked. "What's the problem?"

"The problem, Mitch," The army leader said, words muffled by his hands, "is that the squids made a transporter."

"Care to elaborate?" Moon asked, arms crossed across her chest. "Not all of us have the gift of such a thing called 'technology'."

"It basically means that they can go anywhere they want, as long as it's in a fifty mile radius of the original transporter. It's really advanced technology, and requires millions of giant pieces, all of which you have to create from things in the earth." Double explained, his chin in his palm. "While that's terrible, I don't get what Adam's complaining about."

"Think." Was all Adam said, still groaning. "What have they been doing the past year or two?"

Everyone thought. Well, minus Moona and me. When it came to history, we were basically helpless. Living in a jungle basically all of our lives totally gave us lots of information on a group that didn't matter to us.

"They've been capturing recruits…?" Basically everyone said at the same time. It was actually quite amusing how… together (Is that the right word? I think it's the right word. I don't care. English isn't something I invest my time in a lot. I'm a bengal hybrid living in a forest. That should explain a lot.) they could be while being so different.

"Exactly. They've been using them to gather the materials, I would guess." Everyone fell silent. Again. I was really getting tired of this cliche 'oh everyone cares about everything and yada yada yada' crap. At this point, I really just wanted to leave. Get back on the journey.

"So, know what do we do?" Mitch asked, and I pushed myself off of the couch with a huff, drawing attention to myself.

"We. Leave." I pronounced, using my words to cut into their minds so that way we could get on with this journey. "It didn't affect our goal in any way. All that we did was waste time."

Sluggishly, everyone agreed, and got up. It was a mess as everyone tried to get to the rooms they had slept in, minus the three that had slept out here, and the ones that didn't have bags to carry.

Everyone gathered at a wall that had completely crumbled to the ground. The logs stunk, for some reason, and there was weird green fuzzy clinging to the jagged wood. Either way, it took less time for us to get out, and we didn't have to walk around the outside of the house. The sun indicated that it was just barely past noon, and I wondered at what time everyone woke up.

I let my wonder sink into the ground as I exited the house, memories from the past slipping off my shoulders as I breathed the cool air outside. The journey continues then, I guess.


End file.
